Gary Fineout
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, citing rising debt for college students and recent graduates, urged state legislators to pass a sweeping bill lowering textbook costs and curbing tuition increases for graduate programs.
Scott’s proposal is expected to be his chief priority in the upcoming session starting in March.
A draft of the bill, obtained by The Associated Press, includes the Republican governor’s push to permanently exempt college textbooks from sales taxes.
But Scott also wants to prevent universities from raising the tuition of graduate programs, including law schools and medical schools, beyond the rate in place as of July 1.
“Affordability of higher education is paramount to our future,” said Scott on Tuesday. “If we don’t figure this out this country will have a very difficult time competing globally.”
The governor’s proposal could put him at odds with university leaders who have argued that graduate programs reflect market demand, especially since those degrees are viewed as a way for students to earn higher-paying jobs. Some programs – such as those offered by medical schools – are some of the most expensive to run.
The Scott administration, however, cited figures that showed the average amount of graduate tuition has increased more than 12 percent since 2011.
Miami Republican Sen. Anitere Flores has agreed to push the proposal in the Senate, but Senate President Andy Gardiner said legislators need to have a clear understanding of how it might impact the state’s public universities.
“We want colleges to be affordable, but we also want all of these ideas to be properly vetted and have the universities come in and say this is why it costs more,” said Gardiner, an Orlando Republican.
Scott’s proposal also calls for enacting a requirement that colleges must use the same textbook in undergraduate courses for a minimum of three years. Additionally, the governor wants colleges to tell students prior to registration how much their textbooks will cost.
“You should not get into a class, and then say ‘Oh gosh, there’s a $500 dollar book here,” Scott said.
Another portion of Scott’s proposal would require college and university boards to give a 30-day public notice before taking a vote to raise any college fees. He also wants colleges and universities to annually report the cost of textbooks and instructional materials by each course offered.
During his successful re-election campaign Scott promised that he would tackle the rising cost of college. Scott, a multi-millionaire businessman before seeking office, has repeatedly talked about how he grew up poor and did not have help from his family to get through college.
During his first term, Scott pushed to limit undergraduate tuition hikes at the state’s universities even though Florida tuition is regarded as low compared to many other states. Last year, Scott signed a bill into law that restricts state universities from being able to raise tuition above the rate set each year by legislators.
Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
