Budget cuts at UF? Not if Gov. Charlie Crist's budget passes the state Legislature.
UF's Chief Financial Officer Matt Fajack wrote in an e-mail that UF's budget would remain about the same size next year if Crist's budget becomes a reality.
The governor released his $66.5 billion budget proposal Friday.
It includes a budget of about $3.6 billion for the state's 11 universities, which is about $270 million more than the current year's budget.
Crist's budget, which is only a recommendation, counts on $4.7 billion coming to the state next year from the economic stimulus package signed last week.
UF is currently preparing for a possible budget cut of $72 million to $75 million.
"The (state) Legislature has final authority over budget, so a lot may change," Fajack wrote. "It is a better start than I expected though."
Janine Sikes, UF spokeswoman, said UF appreciates the governor's support of higher education but said nothing is a done deal.
"I don't know any governor's budget that has passed in its entirety," Sikes said. "It's just too soon to tell what's gonna happen."
