TALLAHASSEE Fla.
State university presidents Wednesday persuaded Gov. Charlie Crist to drop his threatened veto of a bill that would allow three state schools to charge higher tuition than others.
Crist said he had been unaware until the meeting that the 11 presidents unanimously support the bill (SB 1710), although it would allow differential tuition only at the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of South Florida.
That factor and a promise to delay the increases for a year until fall 2008 persuaded him to let it become law, possibly without his signature, the governor said. Saturday is the deadline for acting on it.
“It is important that we work together to have excellent institutions of higher education in this state,” Crist said. “But times are tight.”
The governor said he told the presidents he previously vetoed 5 percent tuition increases for all universities and community colleges because students and their families already are being squeezed by increasing costs for other expenses.
“They’re sympathetic to what Florida families are dealing with, with insurance and property taxes and things like that,” Crist said.
