Miami Herald: Success of rally for college funding unclear
Mar 9, 2010
The Miami Herald published this story on March 9, 2010.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The message of hundreds of students who rallied in Tallahassee last week for increased state university funding may have fallen on deaf ears.
More than 200 students joined university system leaders seeking to build support for the so-called “New Florida Initiative,” which seeks $1.75 billion in additional state support over the next five years.
As an initial step toward that goal, Gov. Charlie Crist has asked lawmakers to direct an additional $100 million to Florida universities and $67 million to state and community colleges.
But other leading lawmakers have shown little interest in the proposal, instead warning additional cuts are coming to universities and community colleges that have already lost tens of millions of dollars in funding in recent years.