An analysis of a plan where students paid a flat fee representing 12 credit hours per semester but enrolled in 15 or more credit hours would represent a $40 million cost for Florida State University. It would mean the loss of $20 million in tuition and fees and result in a $20 million cost to expand classes and add faculty to accommodate the heavier student class loads.
“The issue is how much more will it cost in terms of the additional overhead we will have to take on? We will definitely have to schedule a lot more classes,” Rosenberg said. “Overall, I like the idea. But let us try to fit what works for our demographic. One size will not fit all.”
Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who is the leading advocate for the Senate higher-education initiative (SB 2), said each school can develop its own block tuition plan and thus far he is “very encouraged” by the reports he is hearing.
“Different approaches are percolating through the process and so by the time it gets back to the Legislature (next year) we’ll have a good plan,” Negron said. “And ultimately, the plan could look different at the different universities.”