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House Proposal Ties Tuition To Inflation

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By CATHERINE DOLINSKI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 5, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - A plan that would tie the cost of attending college to the rate of inflation heads to the full House for a vote today, adding a new wrinkle to the debate over raising tuition.

Both the House and Senate have proposed increasing tuition by 5 percent in spring 2008. The House Policy and Budget Council, however, voted Thursday to adjust tuition based on the rate of inflation in future years as well.

Joe Pickens, chairman of the Schools and Learning Council, said the House adopted the bill language originally to correspond with Senate leaders' intent to boost tuition automatically by 5 percent every year. The House plan adjusts future tuition rates based on inflation, defined as the yearly change in the consumer price index.

'We thought the CPI was probably a better economic indicator of economic times; that's why we did that,' said Pickens, R-Palatka.

The Senate has since backed off automatically raising tuition annually, but Pickens said that was no reason to jettison the idea from the House bill.

'To take that out would take it off the table entirely,' he said. 'It'll be a conference issue.'

Dan Holsenbeck, vice president of university relations at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, said tying tuition to the consumer price index will do little to help the state's 11 public universities.

For instance, the consumer price index increased only 2.6 percent in 2006 - not enough, university leaders say, to get Florida's tuition to the national average of $5,840. Annual tuition and fees at Florida's universities run about $3,300 a year.

'Is this the right answer? It doesn't appear to be,' Holsenbeck said.

Some members of the House Policy and Budget Council raised concerns about pinning the higher education budget on any form of tuition increase, since Gov. Charlie Crist already vetoed it once this year. The governor said Thursday, however, that he is staying 'open-minded' on the issue.

Crist has been one of Tallahassee's most vocal opponents of raising tuition, having vetoed a 5 percent increase that lawmakers approved in the spring session.

On Thursday, however, he said he's 'willing to listen' to those who are pushing for an increase. 'I had a very good meeting with President Frank Brogan last Friday at Florida Atlantic University, and he made what I thought were some meaningful arguments related to tuition,' Crist said.

Crist did not elaborate on the conversation with Brogan, who was unavailable for comment. The governor said he had not yet reached a conclusion about the House proposal to tie tuition to the consumer price index.

If Crist decides he can support this year's rate increase but not the automatic increase thereafter, lawmakers can accommodate him during conference committee, Pickens said.

Reporter Adam Emerson contributed to this report. Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382 or cdolinski@tampatrib.com.

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