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Schools

Higher college fees are sought

A state board wants a technology fee and to raise caps on others, a 70 percent jump for some students.

By SHANNON OLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER
Published January 27, 2006

GAINESVILLE - Florida's 11 public universities are a bargain in terms of tuition, but students are likely to be paying significantly more in nontuition fees next fall.

The board that oversees the university system voted Thursday to ask the Legislature for permission to levy a technology fee, which would not be covered under the Bright Futures scholarship program.

And the Board of Governors is expected next month to consider raising the cap on athletic, health and activity fees, which are covered under Bright Futures. For some students, that could mean an increase of as much as 70 percent.

Board members said they expect students to be unhappy with the higher costs, but university officials say the increases are necessary to keep up with expenses - particularly in the area of technology.

"Students should have the technology of tomorrow at their hands, and we just don't have it," said University of South Florida provost Renu Khator. "It's a constant struggle."

State law allows community colleges to collect a technology fee of up to $1.80 per credit hour for resident students and up to $5.40 for out-of-state students. But Florida's four-year colleges don't have the same authority.

So they rely each year on money within their annual budget, which is subject to approval by legislators. The 2006-07 budget proposal, for example, includes $5.9-million for technology.

"Universities can plan for technology, but there is not a guaranteed funding source," Board of Governors spokesman Bill Edmonds said.

The result is campuses lacking in the technologies that millennial-generation students expect, such as wireless connections and expanded broadband access for video conferencing.

"I have a sense of urgency on this," said university system Chancellor Mark Rosenberg. "We don't have adequate security, firewalls. We have limited wireless access. Our labs are in need of being refreshed."

Based on the student credit hours generated statewide in the 2005-06 year, officials estimate a $1 per credit hour technology fee would generate $7-million.

The current proposal does not set a maximum technology fee, which made some board members uneasy. So Rosenberg and the board agreed to examine caps and other limitations in coming weeks.

Moreover, each university would have a committee, half of it students, that decides whether to levy a fee and how much to charge. University officials say that will help keep the fee within reason.

"If students don't approve it, it doesn't go anywhere," Edmonds said.

The university presidents also want state approval to collect more for activity, health and athletic fees. The flexibility, they argue, would allow each university to take on new projects that benefit students.

But several board members expressed concern over the higher fees, which would add as much as $9.8-million to the cost of Bright Futures. The board put off a vote until next month.

Universities now can charge up to $28.62 per credit hour, or 40 percent of tuition, for the three fees combined. And fees can't go up by more than 5 percent each year. USF students pay $25.66 per credit hour, the fourth-highest rate in the state.

The presidents want to be able to charge up to 45 percent of tuition for each fee, or $32.20 per credit hour. That would leave USF students paying up to $6.54 more per credit hour for the three fees.

Joe Goldberg, the University of Florida student body president, said he worries about students who aren't receiving Bright Futures. UF students now pay just $18.98 per credit hour for the fees, so they could see a 70 percent increase if the fee went up to the maximum.

Goldberg said he also worries about students' ability to pay the technology fee, since it would fall outside of Bright Futures.

USF president Judy Genshaft said she understands concerns about rising education costs. But she noted that students were among the first to suggest a technology fee several years ago. "This thing has been swirling out there for a while," Genshaft said.

Also Thursday, the board agreed to include an additional $18.5-million in its 2006-07 legislative budget request to cover rising utility costs.

State universities spent $91-million for utilities in the 2004-05 budget year. They budgeted $104-million for the current budget year, but now anticipate they will need more than $122-million - nearly $21-million of it for USF.

"This is a crisis, we think, on every campus in the state," said Ed Poppel, vice president for administration and finance at UF.

Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at 813 226-3373 or svansickler@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 27, 2006, 01:47:17]