Florida Senate OK's bill to increase university tuition

State university students will face tuition hikes of up to 15 percent annually under legislation that passed the Florida Senate on a 30-7 vote yesterday.

It's the first big test for the measure, which will allow all 11 state universities to charge a tuition differential, or supplement. Currently, only the University of Florida, Florida State, South Florida, Central Florida and Florida International have that authority.

Combined with base tuition, the increases cannot equal more than 15 percent a year and must be approved by the Board of Governors, the goal being to get Florida to the national average of more than $6,500 for tuition and fees. In-state tuition and fees for a full-time student in Florida are now less than $3,900 a year.

''We've got education so cheap now that it's a miracle that we've been able to do as much as we have over these years,'' Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville, said during debate.

The bill now moves to the House, where approval is expected, and then for certain signing by Gov. Charlie Crist, who has made the measure one of his legislative priorities for 2009.

The Prepaid College Board has a deal in place to cover added tuition for any contracts sold before July 1, 2007. For contracts sold since then, the board sells plans for the extra tuition.

As for Bright Futures, the added tuition would not be covered by those scholarships. So, even with a 100 percent scholarship, recipients starting next year would face extra costs.

(Via Miami Herald)