JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Leaving a summer class Thursday night, Ashley Brown now hopes she won't have to leave college for financial reasons after learning just how much more her senior year at UNF will now cost.
She told Action News, "I didn't know if it was a rumor or not the whole increase, but 13 percent? Wow."
Tuition is rising for students at eleven public universities in Florida. Cost hikes were approved Thursday in Orlando by the state's Board of Governors.
The University of Florida and USF are getting the exact boost they requested of 9% and 11% respectively. Eight other state schools including UNF asked for 15% hikes, the maximum allowed by law. Four schools were granted that maximum increase, while others like UNF were allowed increases slightly lower.
The increase for UNF students with a full course load equates to an additional $732 for Florida residents. Non-state residents will have to cough up almost $2,472 more this upcoming school year.
UNF's president says he'd be forced to cut classes in the Fall if students did not take on these additional costs because Florida's university system got $300 million trimmed from this year's state budget.
UNF President John Delaney said, "State budget cuts have really taken a toll. So if you don't have the revenue, you can't offer the classes for the students."
