Expressing concerns about mounting student loan debt, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed House Bill 7129, which was crafted to give universities the power to seek higher tuition increases with the goal of building nationally-touted science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs.
In a letter accompanying the veto, Scott called on the state Board of Governors to review each of the states universities for further cost savings while at the same time developing a statewide plan with a clear and distinct mission plan for each university tied to degree production and geographic location, including a plan for excellence in a reasonable time frame at each location.
Scott also announced that he will initiate a further review of higher education options next week.
With this information, we can begin creating a more exceptional higher education system that is well-organized and focused on creating opportunities that will benefit all Floridians, Scott wrote.
The veto doesnt stop the university leaders from seeking tuition increases of up to 15 percent from the their boards of trustees and the state Board of Governors this year.
Scott had until Saturday to sign, veto or allow the bill to become law without his signature.
He has repeatedly said he is opposed to increases in tuition, while at the same time he wants to see an increase in STEM degrees, seen as building a more viable work force to attract and retain business in Florida.
The bill was crafted out of the House, following calls by Scott and House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, to target higher education reform for the 2012 session, including making changes to professor tenure and focusing on courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for a high-tech future.
Scott, drawing on data from the Agency for Workforce Innovation, has estimated Florida will need at least 120,000 workers in the science and math fields through 2018.
In his veto letter he expressed concern about mounting student debt.
In weighing the issues associated with this legislation, my belief has become even stronger that our goal must be to methodically incentivize our universities to become first-class educational institutions, focused on producing graduates who will undertake and find great success in world-changing activities here in our state, Scott wrote.
Additionally, it is also clear how difficult it is for our students, and in many cases their families, to afford the costs of higher education. I have strong concerns for the debt burden on our students and the number of graduates struggling to find jobs within their fields of study.
Many Floridians have offered very passionate advice on this issue. While this decision has not been easy, I do not feel that l can sign this bill into law without a more detailed plan to ensure the increased tuition requirements on Florida students will provide the return they and other Floridians need on their additional investment.
On April 12, FSU president Eric Barron and UF president Bernie Machen lobbied Scott for the power to seek higher tuition that would be allowed under HB 7129.
Known as the pre-eminence bill, HB 7129 requires a university to meet 11 of 14 benchmarks in order to seek the tuition rate hikes.
Barron and Machen have both said their schools already surpass the benchmarks and the additional money would help increase staff and programs.
Barron stated in a release on Friday that the veto will continue to slow the schools' development plans given that the Legislature continues to take away resources."
Board of Governors Chairman Dean Colson expressed his disappointment with the veto on Friday. Hopefully, someday soon, the state will decide to provide our universities with the tools they need to compete on a national stage, he stated in a release.
While some students have protested the threat of another year of tuition increases, the two presidents have been calling for the tuition hikes ever since state leaders began looking to overhaul education, increasing emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math majors.
We all know corporations are very interested in a skilled work force, Barron told Scott at the public meeting April 12 in the Capitol. The top 100 research universities in this country attract $40 billion in corporate and federal dollars. The next 550 universities attract only $10 (billion).
State law currently limits tuition increases to 15 percent annually, which the schools have taken advantage of the past three years to offset declining state revenue.
Neither has said how high they would like to raise tuition, yet Machen said his goal would be to set a rate for those entering as freshmen in 2013 that can remain flat for four years.
Scott's decision will come in the shadow of his decisions April 17 to sign the state budget that uses $300 million from university reserves and April 20 to speed the creation of the STEM-focused Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland out of the University of South Floridas branch campus.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
