UCF raises tuition by 15%

ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Central Florida will raise tuition by 15 percent after the request was approved by the Board of Governors for a maximum tuition increase and an additional fee increase for a $24 million automated library.

The tuition increase was under intense debate on Thursday, as the maximum 15 percent tuition increase was denied after a state finance committee approved it  increase earlier Thursday. A 9 percent tuition increase was also denied, along with a 13 percent tuition increase and a 12. 5 tuition increase.

The University of Florida asked for and received a 9 percent tuition increase, and the University of South Florida asked for and received an 11 percent hike. All the state universities are asking for some type of increase after state legislators made millions of dollars of cuts to education.

Governor Rick Scott spoke out against increases on Tuesday.

"First have you gone through and done everything you can do to reduce costs ... What you would have to do in business can I outsource something," Scott said

UCF is also asking for an additional fee for a new automated library. UCF President John Hitt made the requests when talking to the board Wednesday.

"We're requesting you to approve a $2 per credit hour increase in the Capital Improvement Fee," Hitt said.

The money would go to a $24 million automated library that Hitt says would save the school money.

"It'll handle twice the number of volumes at half the cost of traditional library stacks," Hitt told the board.

Critics have pointed out that the proposed increase would raise less than the proposed automated library, but Hitt says they've done everything they can to deal with state budget cuts.

Watch Local 6 for more on this story.


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