Bright Futures recipients are still getting a hell of a break, but this year it won't be quite as big.
UF students, or their parents, are being asked to take a little responsibility in financing higher education, which isn't as horrible as every groaning 20-year-old on campus might make it seem.
Although it seems disingenuous to tell kids to do well in high school and stay in Florida while dangling a later-vanishing carrot in front of their faces, the fact remains that UF's tuition is still phenomenally low, and the out-of-pocket cost to keep attending UF is practically nil in the scheme of things. So taxpayers are only paying 85 percent of what it costs for you to take "Fruit for Fun and Profit." Cry us a river.
Times are tough on campus, and everyone is all too aware of the budget issues our university is facing. But, for some reason, students bemoan the fact that they will actually have to pay $20 for a credit hour.
If paying $60 for a college class is too much of a hassle, you might need to ask yourself what you're here for in the first place. A well of knowledge and a possible life-changing experience might cost about the same as a copy of Call of Duty 5, but please, get your priorities straight (although that game is super realistic and fun).
Other states do not get Bright Futures. Next time you're feeling bummed about the cost of tuition and books, imagine if you were born and raised in Wyoming. Not only would you have to pay for all of your school expenses, you would be in Wyoming. See? Thought experiments are good for you.
We do wonder, however, if the solution wouldn't be to just set higher standards for the Bright Futures scholarship. Getting a 1270 on the SAT is hard and all, but we're not sure if it merits a free ride to college from every old lady with a scratch-off addiction, a really poor understanding of probability and a never-ending supply of optimism.
Regardless, having to pay for your own books is not the end of the world. Plus, if scraping together $60 per class each semester is gonna break you, you're already broke.
