Crist Changes Mind On Tuition Increases

By ADAM EMERSON The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 28, 2007

Gov. Charlie Crist backed away from his promise to veto a special tuition increase for the University of South Florida and two other universities, allowing the schools to collect the money they say they need from students.

The law allows USF to raise undergraduate tuition by up to 30 percent over several years, and lets the University of Florida and Florida State University increase student costs by up to 40 percent.

Florida's Bright Futures scholarship, which covers 75 percent to 100 percent of resident tuition and fees, would not cover the increase.

Crist declared the measure doomed last month, the same day he killed a 5 percent across-the-board tuition increase for all of Florida's 39 community colleges and public universities.

Crist met with Florida's 11 public university presidents Wednesday to express his desire to keep tuition low.

"Times are tight, frankly," he said, and families are squeezed.

He relented, however, after all of the presidents - including those who wouldn't benefit - said they supported the special measure for the three schools. Crist signed the bill later Wednesday. In return, the leaders at UF, FSU and USF agreed to hold off on raising tuition until fall 2008.

Crist said the compromise "gives us a shot to work together with the Legislature … to increase the funding through the budget process rather than tuition increases."

The three universities long have argued that their class sizes are some of the largest among the nation's public universities. In Gainesville, hundreds of UF students pack some business classes. In Tampa, USF runs some lectures in movie theaters and keeps science labs running at capacity 12 hours every day of the academic week.

USF President Judy Genshaft said the tuition increase allows the Tampa-based university to hire more faculty members to keep class sizes low and advisers to help students graduate in four years.

"It was very exciting for us to hear the governor was so open to working with us," Genshaft said.

Cutbacks Still Possible

USF, however, still may proceed with cutbacks to make up the $3.3 million the university lost when Crist killed the 5 percent undergraduate tuition increase planned for all universities this fall.

UF, FSU and USF can collect as much as 15 percent more tuition in the first of several years of increases under the measure Crist approved. That money won't come in until the 2008-09 school year, however. All Florida universities missed out on an additional $19 million next school year when the governor vetoed the broader 5 percent increase.

USF Vice Provost Ralph Wilcox said that although the university may not freeze enrollment, fewer undergraduate students may be admitted.

"And, certainly, students are going to find there will be some impact on their educational experience in the coming year," Wilcox said. "There will be longer lines to meet with advisers. Classes will continue to grow in size. We're not going to be able to offer the number of sections necessary to meet with student demand."

FSU President T.K. Wetherell recently announced the school would freeze enrollment at current levels, and reduce hours for libraries and computer labs.

Wetherell was out of town Wednesday and spoke with Crist by phone. FSU spokeswoman Browning Brooks said in Tallahassee that university leaders haven't met to discuss whether they would proceed with the cutbacks.

UF spokesman Steve Orlando said the university has discussed hiring freezes and other cutbacks for next year. An enrollment cut, Orlando said, would be "an absolute last resort."

Orlando applauded Crist's move on Wednesday, "but we still have a year gap we have to get through," he said.

Tiered Price System Common

Whatever concerns Crist had about his decision, the idea of charging higher tuition at some state universities than others is a common practice nationwide.

Tuition and fees for resident students at Pennsylvania State University, for instance, can run up to nearly $12,000 annually. Some universities in Pennsylvania, however, collect just $7,000.

Florida's public universities charge some of the lowest tuitions in the nation; only Nevada schools charge less.

Undergraduate tuition for Florida residents is the same $73.71 per credit hour without fees - whether students attend UF or Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.

The proposal for a tiered tuition system emerged after UF pitched a plan to charge a $1,000-a-year fee to students. That morphed into a plan to generate more money for USF and FSU as well.

Over several years, the higher tuition would allow the three universities to pull in an estimated $70 million, with $19 million for USF.

Many student government leaders supported the tuition increase, which doesn't affect current participants in Florida's Prepaid College Plan.

"I'm glad to see a change of heart on this decision," said Frank Harrison, former student government president at USF, who graduated in spring. Harrison, though, said he's surprised that Crist supported this tuition increase and not the smaller increase for all public colleges.

While students at just the three universities are affected now, the other eight university presidents unanimously supported the move with the assurance that they would be considered for the tiered tuition system in the future.

"Would we like to have a seen a bill that specifically named UCF? Yes," said Dan Holsenbeck, vice president for university relations at the University of Central Florida.

"But we feel very confident that out of this will come a fair tuition policy for all the institutions."

Tribune photographer Colin Hackley contributed to this report. Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285 or aemerson@tampatrib.com.