Gov. Rick Scott hasn’t given any indication that he’s ready to sign the $74.5 billion budget the Florida Legislature sent him early this month. He’s expected to veto some line items, including a 3 percent tuition hike for universities and a similar increase for state colleges. “I’m reviewing the budget, and I haven’t decided when to finish [...]
The Lumina Foundation is committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college. CEO Jamie Merisotis takes that message around the country. Last week, he spoke to the Economic Club of Florida. The foundation’s goal is for 60 percent of Americans to earn a high-quality post secondary credential or degree by 2025. Merisotis took questions [...]
Bright Futures money is being targeted again, this time by a government watchdog group that says the state should raise requirements for the merit-based scholarship program. The lottery revenues which fund the scholarships aren’t stretching as far as they used to. Lawmakers made changes to the Bright Futures program in recent years, as more college [...]
A Florida lawmaker who filed a bill that would make Bright Futures recipients stay in Florida after graduation seems to have changed his mind. A spokesman for Rep. Jimmie Smith, R-Lecanto, told the Orlando Sentinel that Smith will withdraw the bill that was filed this month. It would have required college graduates to stay and [...]
A Florida lawmaker has filed a bill that would force most Bright Futures recipients to stay in Florida after graduation or pay back the scholarship money. Rep. Jimmie Smith, R-Inverness, wants the bill to serve as an incentive to keep Florida’s top graduates in the state. House Bill 35 says a graduate must stay and [...]
College tuition is steadily rising in Florida, but at least one expert says the issue of student debt is being blown out of proportion. Dr. Ed Moore is president of the Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida. He is also on the Higher Education Coordinating Council. He and six other council members are charged with [...]
Gov. Rick Scott’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on State Higher Education Reform has reached tentative agreement on its recommendations. The panel on Wednesday called for different tuition rates based on the type of degree being sought such as business, education or engineering. It also proposed letting “preeminent universities” set higher tuition rates. In addition, the [...]
We’ve spent the week looking at how Bright Futures scholarships have changed over the last fifteen years. Bottom line: More students are getting the money, but the awards aren’t going as far as they used to in covering the cost of college or university tuition. The program establishes three lottery-funded scholarships for high academic achievers. [...]
The value of Bright Futures scholarships has gone down in Florida as tuition has jumped, but they’re still a good deal. Requirements have changed, so let’s take a look at what students need to do to receive a Bright Futures award and keep it each year they’re in college. The program provides three levels of [...]
Across Florida, college freshmen are signing up for classes. Many are bringing Bright Futures scholarships to help pay their way. But Forrest Estep experienced sticker shock when he saw what the scholarships don’t cover. Estep is a student at Florida State University. In the past, his Bright Futures Scholarship would have covered a lot more. [...]
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