Florida University System Chancellor Frank Brogan said he’s been assured by Gov. Rick Scott’s office and legislative leaders that the $300 million eliminated from the state system last year will be restored this year, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“We asked for our $300 million back and we have that commitment,” Brogan said during a 30-minute talk with reporters. That claim comes a week after the Joe Negron, the Senate’s appropriations chair, said no such restoration has been decided yet, saying instead that they were “on the table.”
Brogan, who as chancellor oversees the state’s 12 universities, said in addition to getting the $300 million restored, he is also seeking an additional $100 million to be distributed among the universities to improve access and keep up with enrollment growth, according to the Times.
“The return will dwarf that investment,” Brogan said. “We guarantee that.”
This information comes on the eve of voting for proposed credit hour fee hikes at UCF by its Board of Trustees. UCF’s Board of Trustees are expected to decide Thursday morning if they will implement the new fees which are said to cover a range of programs. For more information on the proposed increased, click here.
Brogan told the Tampa Bay Times that Florida has relied for too long on a three-legged stool for the economy: agriculture, tourism and growth. Now is the time to invest in higher education to diversity the economy, he said to the Times.
“Why can’t Florida spawn innovation and creation?” Brogan said. “Why can’t we drive job creation by harnessing the power of higher education?”
