University of Florida President Bernie Machen and state university system Chancellor Mark Rosenberg are pushing for $500-a-semester undergraduate fee.
The bill gives the board that oversees Florida universities power to establish the so-called “academic enhancement” fee
The Board of Governors and Rosenberg support the UF fee for incoming undergraduates, and they stress it would be a pilot program applicable only to UF. Machen would use the $36-million in annual fee revenue to hire 200 new professor and 100 new academic counselors.
—-The cost of higher education is too much already. Students are borrowing money to pay for college now. This puts them $1000/yr more in the hole. Our college graduates are starting their careers in debt. Worse when they move back to Pensacola, they are making $10-$20 grand less than classmates in Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta and other cities.
This is ridiculous. We’re killing the golden goose – thinking that the students pot of money is endless. Who is the $500 really for? The students would be happier paying $500 less. Heck, most of them attend classes over the Internet as it is now. They email their professors and grad assistants. Tests are done in huge lecture halls. Still UF produces quality graduates.
Machen and the state legislature should be looking at how to make education more affordable and more accessible. Not squeezing the students for more $$$.
