By Lynn Hatter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-969635.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – The Florida Board of Governors says the 2011 legislation could have been worse for higher education. Lynn Hatter reports, the state's 11 public universities took a four-percent cut, largely due to the loss of federal stimulus money.
The legislature increased tuition by eight-percent with the assumption that universities will raise it even higher. Bright Future scholarship awards are cut by 20-percent. The Board of Governors is losing 500-thousand dollars from its budget. But Board member Dean Colson says it could have been worse.
"In my view session was a success. We achieved much of our agenda, but not everything. I just can't emphasize if you look at what happened around the county, we ought to be very, very thankful at where we are today for our students around the state."
The Board managed to stave off the worst-case scenario which called for a 500-million dollar cut to higher education and the loss of several positions in the board's Tallahassee offices. It also managed to get 137-million for university building projects, although Governor Rick Scott has suggested he may veto some of them.