I’m not the most committed when it comes to reading the news, but I have seen what is happening in the education department in Florida and as a senior applying to colleges, that worries me. A lot of National merit schools are public ones in Florida, but I will not be considering those anymore even though some looked pretty cool. I do have a few questions about the whole situation:
Am I overreacting by not even considering any public colleges in florida even if they would be free? My mom says I am (but my mom is also more conservative than I am). I care about different viewpoints being expressed and I want to go to a college that promotes diversity. My fear is that the curriculum will favor traditional values over facts and that certain groups (lgbtq, race/ethnicity-based affinity groups) will be quieted or discouraged. Am I overestimating this?
Are private colleges in florida affected or just the public ones?
So some Florida schools, like UF pulled back yiu get $500. But if I’m reading right, USF is a full ride. You’d have to check all.
FSU Says Out-of-State Resident
Florida State University’s Out-of-State National Merit Award scholarship package has a total value of approximately $71,776distributed across four years. It includes a 100 percent out-of-state tuition waiver, a $12,000 Vires scholarship, and a $2000 NMSC stipend (if college sponsored). This scholarship guarantees admission into FSU’s distinguished Honors Program once National Merit Finalist standing has been confirmed. In addition, all National Merit Finalists who apply to the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), which connects high-achieving students with distinguished research mentors to work as research assistants, will be guaranteed admission to UROP.
Only you can decide your comfort level with a state. It will depend on the subject studied as to whether there’d even be controversial topics.
I do not believe private colleges are impacted at this time but perhaps a state resident can answer.
I do not believe the new laws will affect private colleges in Florida, at least not as they stand today. Of course, Florida started some policies with younger grades, then extended it all the way through college. But I only think that the laws will affect Florida privates colleges if the colleges want to follow the new rules. Of course, schools that would choose to follow these policies are probably schools that you would already be able to tell whether they are a fit or not.
Many people are choosing not to apply or at least attend Florida publics when they considered them before. I am one who would not pay to send my child to a Florida public so long as these policies remain in effect, even if it was just room & board because my kid had a full tuition scholarship. That decision, however, is a privilege of those who have enough money to say no to that. For others, they may not be so fortunate to be able to make that same choice.
Unless you are a Florida resident, I would certainly not consider public Florida schools, at this time. The governor and legislature have taken steps to remove Florida from the Southeastern Association of Colleges (SACS) accreditation process. Possibly creating a separate committee of unknown worth.
The quality of the freshman class will deteriorate, albeit gradually, as students stay away. Of course the “Classical” test can now be used at any university for admissions. I am guessing that’s not a test your compeers take.
Additionally, college presidents are being appointed by the governor from a pool of political supporters and cronies. Private schools are not directly impacted, although they might be influenced or emboldened to reduce DEI efforts. I believe there are only two privates that participate as college sponsors for the NMF scholarship.
As a Florida college educator, I am embarrassed. You, however, have far better options as a NMF.
P.S. Professors and administration are definitely being gagged. You are NOT overestimating anything.
Only you can answer whether you are comfortable with it. I would encourage my kids to not apply to any schools in Florida (or any other red states). But that is just my opinion. Everyone has their own comfort levels.
And you will begin to see the quality of instruction affected as any professor that can leave the state will relocate to states where they can teach effectively.
The general climate for LGBTQIA students is scary as is the view of DEI and subsequent end of that office (and all their staff who worked directly with students).
An example showing you’re not over reacting is what’s happening at New college (bringing in athletes turned down at other state universities even though NCF doesn’t have facilities nor is part of an athletic championship league; ending womens/gender studies; professors leaving in droves to the point courses are being removed from the catalog 1 week before the start of class and jr/seniors may not have the classes they need for graduation).
If you care about that climate - and I’ve heard several students mention it already - then there are many states that offer good deals for NMFs.
It was really just umiami that had some things about it I like. But probably not enough to choose there over any other school with similar opportunities, and based on this thread it seems like I was not overreacting, so i probably won’t.
If when you say Florida colleges, you really mean UF - then yes a few years back I believe. But Florida has lots of fine publics including FSU and USF, both rated highly, not that it matters.
That you are worried about the state tell me all I need to know. Why put yourself in a position of second guessing each day you’re on campus?
Many schools offer NMF. You’ve heard them b4 from very respected Tulsa (shares an athletic conference with Rice, Tulane and SMU - pretty good company academically) to UTD to Maine the school with the most National Merit Scholars Alabama and more. Do you think employers care if you went to UF or Alabama ? I’m guessing 99.5% of the time no. The other .5% is likely companies favoring one over the other - not necessarily UF. Only US News cares that one is higher ranked. Bama is 58% OOS - over 1k kids each from blue states like Illinois and California and others. So much more geographic diversity than other publics. Why ? They buy smart kids in - both NM and just smart. And yes it’s an overall much less competitive entry than UF - as is UTD, Maine, and others. But you’re still surrounded by top kids - especially in the harder academic disciplines - and frankly your reward for your brilliance is financial freedom since if I recall, while you don’t necessarily have need, you are very budget constrained.
Privates like Fordham and USC have $$ too.
And many more.
Why concern yourself ? Florida is a quickly moving environment, taking steps far beyond norms of the past many years.
Find a home where you’d feel comfortable. And that won’t make you take loans.
U Miami is not a public school. It draws nationwide and needs the dollars. Personally I wouldn’t be immediately concerned. They have an audience to cater to. That said - have you run the NPC. Can you afford it ? They only give $1k or $2k if you have need for NMF - above other need - that they, not you, determine.
If you like Miami, there’s other mid size schools that are similar in profile, minus the beach. Some, as does Miami, even meet need.
First get back to your budget. Then run the Miami NPC or have your family do it. Do they match - their cost and your budget ?
It is not the colleges that pulled back but that Benacquisto (which was the full ride for NMF) is no longer available to OOS students. Now the NMF has to come from the schools and some do still have them, USF, FSU and UCF. UCF limits them to 40 OOS students per incoming class.
The private schools do not have to follow all the rules that the public schools do such as hiring of professors, courses offered. The only private schools that were part of Benacquisto were UMiami and Embry-Riddle, and neither was a full ride (more like about $22k per year). Those schools did stack their own scholarships with the NMF award. But Benacquisto isn’t available to OOS students.
But if you don’t find what you want in Florida go to one of the other NMF full ride schools.
Possibly - but students are not allowed to speak their thoughts in class or hear their professors thought. They cannot study the things in their thoughts.
With the elimination of diversity programs, that attribute will soon be diminished.
That’s not true. But let’s pretend it is, how would that be different than what goes on at almost every other state college/university in say California (and many, many more places)? People have been shutting down speech from those places for decades but then are surprised when their speech supposedly (again it’s not true) gets shut down in FL.
True - students at Berkley fought hard for the right to speak freely, be heard, and for their profs to have the same rights. Eventually came “academic freedom” for faculty. I am not sure what you are hearing in Chicago, but I assure you faculty at every college in my area of Florida have these repressive laws at the forefront of our lecture preparation. Students are now also permitted to record without permission “for use in a complaint or litigation”.