Following a three-day meeting in Orlando rife with debate and questions, Florida's university system Board of Governors has approved a request from the University of South Florida to raise tuition costs by 11 percent.
This increase, and a string of increases before it, have added up to over 50 percent worth of tuition price hikes over the past four years for the university.
USF isn't the only one either. A handful of other public, Florida universities also gained approval for tuition increases. Florida Atlantic University was granted approval for a 15 percent increase in tuition, Florida Gulf Coast University gained a 12 percent increase, and the University of Florida received the lowest increase with 9 percent.
Governor Rick Scott voiced his opposition to the tuition hikes in a statement released on Thursday.
"I'm disappointed to see the Board of Governors' decision on tuition increases today. Tuition rates have risen 71 percent over the past four years and graduates are facing unprecedented levels of debt. We can't continue on this path," Scott said in the statement.
Aside from USF and UF, though, most of these universities requested 15 percent, the highest yearly increase the state allows, due to $300 million budget cuts handed down by the Florida Legislature earlier this year.
Following Thursday's approvals, the schools have five days to appeal to Florida's University System Board of Governors.
