Politics & Government

Scott to Universities: Come Up With $10,000 Degrees

Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants the state's universities to come up with a way to make higher education more affordable. His challenge could save New Tampa households thousands.

New Tampa residents who find themselves scrimping and saving to pay for college might have it a little easier in the years to come if Gov. Rick Scott gets his way.

The Republican leader is challenging the state’s 12 public universities to come up with a way to create $10,000 degrees, according to TBO.com.

"You should be able to work and go to school and not end up with debt," Scott said in an interview on News Channel 8. "Yet those degrees cost so much money and tuition is so high that that's not going to happen. So I put out this challenge to our state colleges."

Find out what's happening in New Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Scott’s challenge comes on the heels of major budget cuts to the state’s university system. This year alone, Florida’s universities took a $300 million cut in funding, prompting protests as the University of South Florida and elsewhere. To make up for those cuts, schools like USF have raised their tuition rates.

Even so, TBO points out, Florida’s tuition costs are lower than the national average. In-state tuition and fees comes in around $6,000 a year for undergraduates.

Find out what's happening in New Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Scott, however, says there’s still plenty of fat in the budgets to cut.

Read TBO’s full story here.

Are you worried about paying for college for your kids? What do you think about Scott’s challenge? Is it possible to cut enough fat to enable the state to offer $10,000 degrees? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here