The Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s university system, voted Wednesday to allow Florida public universities to increase a fee out-of-state students pay. Out-of-state students in Florida don't just pay higher tuition, but also a special fee.
It’s the first time in over a decade these fees are being increased.
With the Board of Governors vote, Florida’s public universities will be allowed to increase that fee up to 10% this fall, and up to 15% by the fall of 2026.
Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee Alan Levine said the change is meant to be gradual.
“We want to make sure we don't create sticker shock for students that are here currently. You know, while there's no contract, there certainly was an understanding when they came here, what it was going to cost them,” said Levine.
The board of trustees at each school would determine how much to raise fees, and if universities increase out-of-state enrollment, they must increase in-state enrollment.
Levine says schools must maintain the same ratio of in- to out-of-state students as they have currently, so as not to “displace” cheaper in-state students for out-of-state ones.
“We do not want to see universities raising their non-resident enrollment rates to increase revenues, particularly at the expense of in-state students. We must make sure in-state students are not displaced because of this increase,” said Levine.
These fee hikes would apply to undergraduate and graduate students at Florida’s public universities.
The University of South Florida currently has the lowest out-of-state student fees for undergraduate and graduate students coming in at $346.50 and $424.52 respectively.
According to the College Board, Florida has the third cheapest out-of-state undergraduate tuition in the country after North and South Dakota.
But it ranks 19th in the country when it comes to out-of-state graduate tuition.
A Budget and Finance Committee analysis estimates Florida’s public universities could bring in an additional $72,517,764 in revenue from undergraduate and $32,595,378 from graduate out-of-state tuition if they bump fees up to the maximum of 15% in 2026.
When it comes to in-state tuition the Board of Governors and Governor Ron DeSantis say they’re committed to make sure in-state tuition and fees are steady.
“There have been no increases to in-state tuition since I took office,” said DeSantis in a statement. “While higher education costs have skyrocketed nationally, Florida—the #1 state for higher education in the country—has the lowest in-state tuition and fees in the nation.”
Read the full finance committee report below on the out-of-state fee increase:
