House Looks To Hold Down Higher-Ed Costs
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) - Following the lead of Gov. Rick Scott, a House panel Wednesday approved a bill designed to help hold down costs for students at state colleges and universities.
The bill (PCB HEWS 15-01) received unanimous support from the House Higher Education & Workforce Subcommittee after little discussion.
Among other things, the bill would remove part of state law that allows the university system's Board of Governors to delegate tuition decisions in graduate and professional programs to trustees at individual universities.
The bill would leave that tuition-setting authority with the Board of Governors.
The measure would also take a series of steps to try to rein in the costs of textbooks. As an example, it would require that textbooks and other instructional materials be adopted with enough lead time to help maximize the availability of cheaper used textbooks.
Scott has made one of his top priorities the cost of higher education, including pushing a proposed sales-tax exemption for textbooks.
"The News Service of Florida contributed to this report."