Let s Keep College Affordable

Let s Keep College Affordable

Florida s Next Steps... Governor Scott s commitment to Florida s higher education system is evident by his historic state college and university funding commitments, holding the line on tuition and fee increases, creating preeminent research institutions to strengthen the quality of Florida s universities and creating $10,000 degrees at our state colleges. Governor Scott will continue to focus on the quality of the state s institutions, the cost of college for Florida families, and increasing the number of students that graduate with STEM related degrees and the financial commitment by the state to fund higher education public institutions. Governor Scott s vision for the public, higher education system focuses on the following goals that will give Florida a competitive edge over other states: Be # 1 in university and college affordability; Be # 1 for graduates finding jobs in their field of study; Be # 1 in the percentage of students receiving STEM degrees; Be #1 in Florida graduate preparation for the workforce; Be #1 in groundbreaking research and development that leads to job-creating start-ups at universities; and Achieve the first top ten ranked public university and a second ranked public university in the top 25.

State Universities Governor Rick Scott has supported Florida s state universities by focusing on quality and cost. While he is focused on making college affordable, he is also committed to ensuring the quality of Florida s state universities. When Floridians earn a college degree it is a win win for college graduates and the state. It s working. Florida has great public universities. Two online programs at the University of Florida are among the top 10 nationally in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Of particular note, UF ranked fifth in the Best Online Bachelor s Programs category, a meteoric rise from No. 34 in 2013. Four Florida universities, all part of the State University System of Florida, have been ranked in the top 50 universities worldwide that were granted U.S. utility patents in 2013, according to The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO). The list includes both public and private universities worldwide. Florida has four institutions in the top 100 public national universities. The University of Florida is closer to its goal of becoming a top-10 public national university, moving three spots up to No. 14. Among all public and private universities, UF moved from 54 last year to 49. Florida State University climbed from No. 42 last year to No. 40 among all public national universities, jumping six points in the last two years. Among all public and private universities, FSU moved from 97 to 91. State Colleges Florida s State Colleges are a great return on investment for Floridians. Governor Scott will continue to support and champion Florida s State Colleges. Floridians should be proud of their state colleges and should continue to pursue higher education dreams at Florida s State Colleges. Florida is home to two of the top 10 community colleges in the nation and four of the top ten high schools in the nation. 19 Florida College System (FCS) institutions are on the USDOE s list of public, four-year colleges with the lowest tuition rates. Florida awarded more associate degrees and one-year certificates than larger states, Texas and New York. Community College Week s Top 100 Associate Degree Producers report identifies Florida as a leader in a range of categories based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Highlights of the 2013 report include: 17 Florida colleges are among the top 100 producers of associate degrees. Broward College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Miami Dade College and Valencia College are in the top 10; 15 Florida colleges are ranked in the number of associate degrees awarded to African American students. Broward College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Miami Dade College and Valencia College are in the top 10; and 10 Florida colleges are ranked in the number of associate degrees awarded to Hispanic students. Broward College, Miami Dade College and Valencia College are in the top 10.

Governor Scott s Continuing Commitment to Florida s Higher Education With Governor Scott s leadership, Florida will remain focused on equipping its education system with the resources necessary to provide every student with a world-class education. Governor Scott will continue to work with the Legislature to hold the line on tuition and to make college more affordable for every Florida family. In his second term, Governor Scott will propose strategic funding investments for institutions to upgrade and expand workforce education programs. By increasing the accessibility of higher education for all, the results will yield an investment in Florida s future, training the state s workforce, and building an opportunity economy where every Florida family can succeed.

State University Performance Metrics Continue to Secure Historic Funding for Florida Colleges and Universities 1 Percent of Bachelor s Graduates Employed and/or Continuing their Education Governor Scott plans to continue to pursue historic state funding for Florida s public higher education institutions. Governor Scott is dedicated to encouraging the development of degree programs at public higher education institutions where graduates can obtain a high-paying job. 2 Average Wages of Employed Baccalaureate Graduates 3 Cost per Undergraduate Degree 4 Six Year Graduation Rate 5 Academic Progress Rate 6 University Access Rate 7 8 Graduate Degrees Awarded in Areas of Strategic Emphasis Freshman in Top 10% of Graduating High School Class 9 Board of Governor s Choice 10 Board of Trustee s Choice After fixing a budget shortfall, left by Charlie Crist in 2011, Governor Rick Scott provided record funding for higher education, including signing an historic education budget that provided an all-time high financial commitment of $3.7 billion for our state university system and $2 billion for our state college system. In addition, the budget provided over $158 million for new buildings at our universities and over $106 million to our state colleges. In the next four years, Governor Scott will continue to fight for historic funding levels for Florida s state colleges and universities. Governor Scott provided leadership to deliver an historic level of performance funding for our state universities. Governor Scott believes in supporting and championing performance-based funding for our public higher education institutions. Last year, Governor Scott worked with the Legislature to deliver a win for students and Florida universities by awarding over $20 million in performance funding. Governor Scott s goal to support students is to ensure they can find a job and pursue their dreams after graduation. That is why millions of dollars are based on institutions effectiveness in preparing students for the future. These funds also allowed universities to attract the best talent and provide the best learning environment for students. During the 2014-15 fiscal year, the Board of Governors will award over $200 million to our universities in performance funding. Governor Scott has approved $100 million in new funding for performance funding and a proportional amount to total $65 million would come from each university s recurring state base appropriation and another $35 million from other system initiatives. The Performance Based Funding model has four guiding principles: Use metrics that align with SUS Strategic Plan goals Reward Excellence or Improvement Have a few clear, simple metrics Acknowledge the unique mission of the different institutions

Crist Charlie let college 15% tuition increase up to EVERY YEAR Governor Scott has championed the use of performance funding for our higher education public institutions during his term. Florida has great public state universities and needs to financially reward the highest performing universities and our universities that are improving their performance. Governor Scott will continue to pursue creating a performance funding model for 28 state colleges, modeled after the heralded State University System that was created by the Board of Governors. Governor Scott will continue to provide leadership and work with the Legislature to ensure a performance funding system is created for our state colleges. Governor Scott s fight to Keep Costs Low After attending high school and community college, Governor Scott enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served on active duty aboard the USS Glover as a radar man. The G.I. Bill enabled Governor Scott to attend college and law school. While enrolled at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and working full-time at a local grocery store, Governor Scott and Ann made their first significant foray into the business world by buying two Kansas City doughnut shops. Following graduation from UMKC with a degree in business administration, he earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University.

Governor Scott has fought increased costs at colleges and universities by: Eliminating the automatic statutory rate of inflation tuition increase; Eliminating automatic tuition differential; Providing out-of-state tuition waivers to all honorably discharged veterans that attend a state college, state university, career center, or charter technical career center; Creating the $10,000 bachelor degree program in our state college system that is geared toward high-demand job fields so students are prepared to start a great career when they graduate; Vetoing tuition increases in the budget when legally possible; Reducing the cost of current and future pre-paid college plans by $20,000; Supporting a waiver for out-of-state postsecondary tuition for students of any background that meet specific eligibility requirements; Creating UF Online, is a bachelor s degree earned completely online with tuition capped up to 75% of on campus credit costs; and Providing tuition waivers to veterans that were awarded a purple heart. In His Next Term Governor Scott proposes to identify and pursue additional strategies to keep the cost of college low. Two specific strategies he will pursue include reducing the costs of textbooks (instructional materials) and requiring greater transparency and more specific public notice requirements for colleges and universities regarding tuition and/or fee increases. governor Scott will fight to ensure information on the cost of course material will be provided to students prior to course registration. The exact same course can vary by hundreds of dollars at an institution because the professor/instructor chose different materials, yet the course is the same. Students have the right to know the total cost of their educational choices prior to registering for a course. Governor Scott supports requiring our institutions to publicly notify (including a press release on the details of the date and time of meeting, the rationale for the increase, etc.) any proposed increased cost to students by posting the information in a clear and easy location (the institution s homepage of their website) 30 days prior to any action taken by a board of trustees regarding tuition and fee increases.

Governor Scott will continue to support STEM initiatives and facilities, AT Florida s higher education institutions. Governor Scott will request funding for Workforce Training focused on STEM occupations and other high-skill/high-wage jobs. This initiative will provide flexible funding to businesses seeking to train employees as well as individuals seeking training in STEM and other high-skill/high-wage occupations. The initiative includes scholarships for students seeking training in a STEM-related occupation at a Florida state college or post-secondary vocational center. Many of the credentials necessary for eligible in-demand careers can be obtained in two years or less. governor Scott will seek a new investments in $10,000 STEM Bachelor Degrees. State Colleges will compete to earn one-time funds to create or enhance $10,000 STEM Bachelor degree programs. governor Scott will host annual business plan start-up competitions with colleges and universities throughout the state. Working with Florida colleges and universities, Governor Scott proposes creating a State Matching Grant Program to fund prizes for annual business-plan competitions throughout the state. Colleges and universities could match state funding with private funds up to $100,000 that would be awarded to the Floridian with the winning business plan at each institution. These annual competitions would incentivize start-ups and innovative businesses to grow around our colleges and universities. Working in partnership with entrepreneurship programs and business incubators would help to ensure groundbreaking research and development through our universities, while also marketing and helping to create jobs for Floridians. Competitions like these serve as a starting point for many successful entrepreneurs, and will facilitate the meeting of great Florida ideas with the capital and expertise to making them successful, job-creating businesses. Expand Opportunities for students to earn STEM related degrees Governor Scott has made incredible progress in creating private-sector jobs for Florida families, and STEM fields have played a key role in that effort. Workers in STEM occupations use science, technology, engineering and math to drive the state s innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries.

In the last four years, Governor Scott has: Created Florida s newest public university, Florida Polytechnic University that will open in the Fall of 2014 and will focus on STEM degrees with 6 available majors and 19 concentrations including electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, cyber gaming, cyber security and data analytics. The university had over 2,800 applications with average ACT score of 25 and average SAT score of 1,750. There will be approximately 500 students in the initial full class. Every student will receive a $5,000 scholarship for their first three years and $3,200 for their fourth year. Ninety five percent of the initial class are Floridians and many major industry partners have been created. Added $3.3 million in funding for the FSU National High Magnetic Field; invested $20 million for a chemistry building at the University of Florida; Iinvested $20 million for an earth ocean atmospheric sciences building at Florida State University; invested $10 million for a pharmacy building at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University; invested $15 million for a Heart Health Institute and $5 million for the Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida; invested $7 million for an Innovation Hub Research facility at Florida Gulf Coast University; and invested $11.7 million for the renovation of a biology building at the University of North Florida. www.rickscottforflorida.com Political advertisement paid for and approved by Rick Scott, Republican, for Governor.