June 10, 2010. FAU’s tuition and fee hikes will mean more $$$ for athletics and mental health counselors, “There are a lot of students who now won’t be able to graduate on time, because they can’t afford it, or they’ll be going to a community college,” said Alyssa Osman, an FAU senior from Coral Springs.
The price tag for tuition and fees will be about $5,000 a year for a student taking 15 hours. Two years ago, all state universities charged below $4,000.
If you’re a student taking a full load at Florida International University, tuition and fees will increase from $4,570 to $4,930. At the University of Central Florida, the price tag will be $5,021, up from $4,526 last year.
All universities are raising tuition 15 percent, and some are raising student fees by an unprecedented 15 percent or more.
Florida Atlantic University is one of the schools doing both. Students there should expect to pay $4,924 this coming school year, a $613 increase. And don’t expect Bright Futures to pick up the slack. It no longer covers any increases in tuition and fees.
The scholarship, which once paid 100 percent or 75 percent of the total, now only pays a fixed amount: $3,024 for the top scholarship, and $2,016 for the second-tier one.
“There are a lot of students who now won’t be able to graduate on time, because they can’t afford it, or they’ll be going to a community college,” said Alyssa Osman, an FAU senior from Coral Springs.
Still, universities are increasing their financial aid budgets, so low-income students may be able to get more help.
Florida‘s public universities have traditionally been known for rock-bottom tuition. That changed last year, as the state gave all state universities authority to increase tuition 15 percent a year until the state reached the national average for public universities. This past year that average was $7,020, according to the College Board.
The state had capped fee increases for student activity, health and athletic fees at 5 percent, but this year, new legislation allowed a one-time increase of 15 percent, or whatever is needed to raise the school to the state average. Six schools, among them FAU, Florida State University, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida, are raising some or all of their fees.
“It’s a burden on students, but I definitely think it’s necessary,” said Ayden Maher, student government president at FAU, which is raising all three student fees by 15 percent. “If we want to stay competitive in the global market, Florida Atlantic University has got to provide more services.”
FAU’s increases will be used to add more advisers and mental health counselors and to build the university’s sports program.
UCF and FIU, while increasing tuition 15 percent, are limiting student fee increases to 5 percent.
“We review our fees every year, and we believe our fee structure for 2010-11 is fair and appropriate,” UCF spokesman Chad Binette said.
There is some good news for cash-strapped students. They probably won’t be charged any new fees this year.
FAU wanted a $5-per-credit hour charge for students taking classes that offer supplemental instruction. FIU wanted to charge a “test preparation fee” of anywhere from $100 to $3,000 for students taking certification tests, such as the Florida Bar or CPA exam. New College of Florida wanted to charge a green fee for its environmental efforts.
But members of the state Board of Governors said at a meeting Wednesday they want to develop regulations for what type of new fees universities can charge. They don’t expect these proposed fees to be approved for the 2010-11 school year.
Judith L. Solano, a University of North Florida professor who sits on the board, said she’s hearing growing student discontent over this issue.
“What I hear on campuses is that we’re nickeling and diming them to death with the fees,” she said. “We need to get a good picture of what the total impact will be.”
Scott Travis can be reached at stravis(at)SunSentinel.com, 561-243-6637 or 954-425-1421.