TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Sell College Football Tickets First To Students With Full Course Loads

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 20, 2008

Sometimes little birdies need a shove to leave the nest, and University of Florida President Bernie Machen might have just the ticket.

Machen says he was joking when he suggested the other day that students take 15 credit hours - a full course load - if they want to purchase UF football season tickets. But his jest hits upon a very real problem for Florida universities and taxpayers - the state's dismal four-year college graduation rate.

Just half of UF students graduate in four years. One in five takes longer than six years. At the University of South Florida, President Judy Genshaft has given up promoting the four-year graduation rate, preferring a more flattering six-year measure instead.

But with Florida universities facing a severe crunch in facilities and finances, four-year graduation rates matter mightily. The longer it takes a student to graduate, the less room there is for other students.

It's hard to understand the graduation lag, given how many college freshmen arrive on campus with a few college credits under their belt through Advance Placement classes and online learning.

Students used to graduate in four years, Machen told the Gainesville Sun, for fear their parents would cut them off.

But things changed after Florida passed the Bright Futures program, which gives free or partially free college tuition to any high school student who graduates with at least a 3.0 average.

To keep the scholarship, college students must maintain at least a 2.75 grade point average. To ensure they do, many opt to take fewer classes per semester. Nearly two-thirds of UF students take less than a full load.

Granted, some students must work their way through college and need extra time to get through. Others might choose a lighter load when facing a particularly difficult course one semester.

But while Bright Futures has made college possible for more students, it has created unintended consequences that state lawmakers need to address.

One possibility would be to let Bright Futures scholarships pay for summer courses. Another would be to charge a flat rate for tuition, creating an incentive for students to take more classes, not fewer. Another would be to limit the number of years that students are eligible for the scholarship.

Yet another would be to make much-sought season football tickets available first to students who take a full course load.

While you'd hate to move others farther back in line, the enrollment pressure on Florida universities means something has to give.

Let's face it. For many students college is a cushy life, and there's no hurry to greet the cold, cruel world.

But Florida cannot afford to stoke the trend line on six-year graduation rates. If season tickets help get college students more focused on graduation, this game plan could be a winner.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT