<p>I was wondering with the budget cuts, have students seen a drastic difference or ne difference at all in class sizes, majors, courses offered and etc.???</p>
<p>No, read up about Tuition Differential. $70 million a year in recurring funding that must go to the Undergraduate program. The Sky is not falling....</p>
<p>source: Miami Herald</p>
<p>Budget</a> cuts hurt university system - 09/02/2008 - MiamiHerald.com</p>
<p>Budget cuts hurt university system
OUR OPINION: FLORIDA HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS FALLING BEHIND AS RESOURCES SHRINK</p>
<p>When Florida's 301,000 public university students started classes last week, they saw first-hand the effects of a system of higher learning that is ailing and desperately in need of help. They found fewer choices for classes and majors. More crowded classrooms. Higher student/faculty ratios.</p>
<p>What's happening at Florida State University is typical: It has eliminated more than 250 positions, limited enrollment by 2,000 students, cut student services and deferred needed maintenance. The University of Florida is accepting 1,000 fewer students for the next four years because classrooms are bulging. Closer to home, Florida International University is reducing undergraduate enrollment and has shut down the industrial-engineering program.</p>
<p>All of the state's 11 public universities are hurting from the budget cuts imposed by the Legislature. The usual excuse is that in hard times like these, everybody must share the pain, including university faculty, staff and students. Florida is undoubtedly going through a challenging economic period, as are most states, but that does not explain fully the plight of the state colleges and universities.</p>
<p>• First, education has taken a disproportionately big budget hit.</p>
<p>• Second, low-balling the public universities is counterproductive. Where else are we going to get the workforce that Florida needs to recover and compete with other states for a strong, vibrant economy?</p>
<p>• Third, every state in the union has been hit by hard times, but the deprivation of resources has been worse in Florida's higher-education system. Florida ranks dead last among states in faculty-to-student ratio. Its tuition is about $3,500 per year, lowest of any state. The comparable figure at the University of Georgia in 2006 was $4,910. At the University of Alabama, $5,278.</p>
<p>It can be tough for Florida parents and students to meet tuition increases, but it is tougher elsewhere. Tuition increased 24.2 percent at UF from 2002 to 2006, but most flagship public universities raised tuition even more. At the University of South Carolina, the comparable increase was 56 percent. At the University of Kansas, 76 percent. This year, freshmen and sophomores at five major public universities in Florida are being charged a tuition differential that amounts to no more than $104.40 for a student taking 15 credit hours. That will help, but not enough.</p>
<p>As with so much else that is wrong with Florida, part of the problem lies with a fiscal structure that fails to generate enough revenue. This is a big problem that Gov. Crist and the Legislature will have to face up to eventually if Florida is to avoid being ranked dead last in every measure that reflects quality of life.</p>
<p>Part of the problem is also structural, and easier to fix. For example, Bright Futures as of 2006 had awarded scholarships to 140,000 students, many of whose families could easily afford to pay for college. Bright Futures is a great program, but putting a cap on it or otherwise limiting its outlay makes sense because it leaves more money for other essential programs that are being starved.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most serious problem is political. Ever since Florida voters confounded the Legislature in 2002 by creating a university system with an independent board of governors, the BOG and the Legislature have engaged in nonstop bickering over who is in charge. A lawsuit currently in the courts is trying to clarify the issue of who has control over tuition and other vital university matters.</p>
<p>The bickering needs to end. The new BOG chairwoman, Sheila McDevitt, is a longtime corporate lawyer and former general counsel for TECO Energy. As such, she is well positioned to end the standoff and reach an understanding with the Legislature that all parties must work together for the benefit of Florida's students. Gov. Crist should get involved to make this happen.</p>
<p>A good place to begin uniting is agreement over the next budget. Earlier this month, the BOG approved a $3.7 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins in July of 2009. It includes $65 million to fund a raise of 4 percent for faculty and staff. They deserve it. Faculty members have received raises in only two of the past five years. The result has been a huge brain-drain as universities across the country raid Florida for the best teachers and researchers.</p>
<p>A few days ago, the 2009 edition of ''America's Best Colleges'' released by U.S. News & World Report showed that UF remained among the top 50 universities in the country (No. 49), and FSU actually moved up from 112 to 102. This means the disastrous effects of recent budget cuts haven't been measured yet. But they will be. If Florida's leaders continue to ignore the needs of higher education, you can forget about a quality public university system in Florida for a very long time.</p>
<p>The key is for UF to just reduce enrollment.</p>
<p>I haven't seen a change at least with science or engineering majors. I know english major have limited options when it comes to classes.</p>