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Florida universities say they need $45M to offset Bright Futures changes

 
Published Sept. 18, 2014

TALLAHASSEE — When Florida lawmakers made it harder to earn a Bright Futures scholarship, they celebrated the potential cost savings.

But the changes to the eligibility criteria may come with an unforeseen price tag.

Universities across the state, including the University of South Florida, say they will need an additional $45 million next year for financial aid to help "low-income students impacted by the loss of Bright Futures scholarships."

A disproportionate share of those students are black or Hispanic, according to a new analysis. At USF St. Petersburg, more than 60 percent of freshmen who would have qualified in previous years did not meet last year's eligibility requirements.

The Board of Governors, which sets higher education policy for the state, was scheduled to hear a presentation on the issue Wednesday. But the controversial item was pulled from the agenda after it got dragged into the governor's race.

The board's 17 members are gubernatorial appointees. Republican Gov. Rick Scott has pledged to improve access to higher education, while Democrat Charlie Crist blames Scott for cuts in the program.

Bright Futures scholarships are available to Florida high school graduates who attend public and private universities in the state. The level that most students qualify for requires at least a 3.0 weighted GPA and 75 volunteer hours. The merit-based awards are funded by Florida Lottery revenue.

Before 2011-12, students who scored 970 or higher on the SAT, counting the math and critical-reading portions of the test out of 1,600 total points, could receive a scholarship. Now, students must earn a score of at least 1,170.

Statewide, more than one-third of students who would have received a scholarship under the 2012 criteria did not meet the criteria in 2013.

The drop was even more dramatic for minorities. Nearly half of Hispanic freshmen and two-thirds of black freshmen who would have qualified in past years did not receive an award last year, according to an analysis by university leaders.

The authors of the analysis said the additional $45 million in need-based financial aid would help ensure that low-income students complete their degrees.

"Without these funds, retention and graduation rates are likely to fall as students come to grips with the financial implications of continuing their schooling," they added.

The scholarship program has long been controversial, with critics raising questions about discrimination. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights recently revived an investigation into the awards.

State Rep. Erik Fresen, a Miami Republican who oversees education spending for the Florida House, said lawmakers should discuss need-based financial aid, but he does not support dropping Bright Futures standards. "It's supposed to be for the best and the brightest," he said.

The issue resonated this week on the campaign trail.

"Rick Scott has put up barriers to college, making it harder for more than one of every three students trying to get an education," Crist said in a statement.

Scott spokesman Greg Blair said Crist raised college tuition during his time as governor: "As Floridians were losing their jobs and their homes, Charlie Crist did even more damage by raising taxes and tuition on middle-class families and leaving schools in worse shape."

College tuition rose 15 percent in 2009 and 2010 during Crist's first term as governor, but Scott also raised tuition by 15 percent one year as governor, according to PolitiFact Florida.

Times/Herald staff writer Tia Mitchell contributed to this report.