Students who depend on Bright Futures scholarships will face a 15 percent tuition increase and less money from the program to help them.
Along with the tuition increase, in August the scholarship program will face cuts amounting up to $960 annually per student.
The state legislature has debated how to go about cutting funding for the Bright Futures program. Two versions of the bill are currently proposed, one in either house of the legislative body.
The House version of the bill would cut anywhere between $330 and $480 from everyone’s annual award depending on the kind of award received. The senate version will cut $960 from all students across the board. Meanwhile, the state legislature is also raising tuition at all public higher learning institutions in Florida – University students will see a 15 percent tuition increase.
Adrienne Samani, an incoming freshman biology major and a recipient of the Bright Futures Scholarship, expressed her frustration.
“My brother and sister are going into college plus me; that makes three. It’s a really big expense on my parents and me, too,” Samani said. “I think losing $960 would get me into a lot of debt most people wouldn’t be willing to get into for school.”
Starting this fall, tuition at the University will go up $17 per credit per semester for all its students. On average, a full-time student will experience an increase of about $300.
Claudia Torres, a junior criminal justice major and also on Bright Futures, is seeking alternatives to her original graduation plan.
“I was going to stay until spring but I think I want to graduate before because this is stressing me out,” Torres said.
However, the cuts won’t affect all students similarly.
Thirty percent of the total earnings the University will receive from the tuition increase will be redistributed to those students who are most in need of financial aid, according to Steve Sauls, vice president of governmental relations.
According to a review of the University’s operating budget for 2011-2012 fiscal year, $2.3 million from the tuition increase will be given as need-based financial aid. Students without any expected family contributions will receive a differential scholarship of approximately $640.
“These students will receive more money in proportion to the tuition increases,” Sauls said. “They will be better off.”
Florida ranks 48th in the country for the lowest overall tuition rates, and the University is rated one of the best values in education in the United States.
“Tuition increases amounting 15 percent won’t change that [ranking],” explained Sauls.
Kenneth Jessell, senior vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer, explained a few fees will rise as a response to the decline in funding from the state.
“We need to ensure the quality of the product students are receiving is maintained at a high level and continues to improve,” said Jessell in an interview with Student Media.
“The opportunity cost of students postponing their graduation as a result of our cutting classes and professors for lack of funding, exceeds the tuition increases.”
A document from the Finance and Audit Committee said 70 percent of the total increase in tuition will be “used toward enhancing and maintaining quality undergraduate education.”
Patrick O’Keefe, president of the Student Government Council at Modesto Maidique Campus and the University’s incoming external vice-chairman for Florida Student Association, explained his plan of action in response to the proposed changes.
The session for the state legislature does not begin until spring and in collaboration with the University’s Governmental Relations, O’Keefe plans to meet with members of the state legislature to fight for the platform both FSA and FIU set forth.
Student government also plans to increase the amount of money it raises for need based scholarships in the form of the First Generation Scholarship fund and potentially announce a merit based scholarship later in the year.
The Bright Futures Scholarship is funded by the Florida Lottery, and was originally launched to help stop the brain drain that was occurring as Florida students went to school out of state. Since 1997, the number of scholarship recipients has more than quadrupled in size.
As the lottery has not been able to keep pace with the growth of the award, in 2008-2009, legislators had to cap the amounts the Bright Futures Scholarship was giving students, even though tuition was continuing to go up.
I’m a little confused as to when the cuts go into effect. Are these just proposed cuts or are they going to be enacted in the next year?
Pell grants are being cut too. Students are going to have a hard time paying for college in the upcoming years.
We have known for the past 3 years that bright futures is going to disappear, although we have fought it. Bright futures costs the state more money although it was not intended to do so. Buy lotterry tickets lol