<p>To save itself from the ebb and flow of state monies, this flagship university should privatize. It needs to split itself off from the Legislature to the largest degree possible.</p>
<p>Privatizing is a real long shot for the state university in the state capital. Guess privatizing is being explored elsewhere too as described in this article about the University of Michigan:</p>
<p>[Cash-Strapped</a> State Schools Being Forced to Privatize - TIME](<a href=“http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1893286,00.html?imw=Y]Cash-Strapped”>http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1893286,00.html?imw=Y)</p>
<p>UVa has talked about it for years. And they are in a much better position to do so. They are wealthy compared to FSU. But they haven’t been able to. I don’t see it happening in Florida.</p>
<p>That’ll increase tuition reducing student interest (no bright futures).</p>
<p>I would have chosen UCF over FSU if FSU was private.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read, Bright Futures can cover private schools…</p>
<p>Not completely private, but less subject to state funding issues.</p>
<p>bright futures barely covers private schools.
=</p>
<p>You can spend your Bright Futures money at a private university IN FLORIDA. However, the maximum amount of Bright Futures money = tuition at a State of Florida University System school. That amount of money is probably a lot less than you need to cover tuition at a private school. Remember that in-state tuition in Florida is (I think) 6th lowest in the country.</p>
<p>If privatization of State Universities happens anywhere, I think it will happen in places where in-state tuition is relatively high and number of out-of-state students is relatively high (and OOS tuition is of course pretty high) – which is to say, Florida is just about on the bottom of that list.</p>
<p>You’re mad that the Florida State Legislature won’t pay more for higher ed in this state? They won’t pay more because Floridians don’t care enough about higher-ed to make them! You’re problem isn’t with the legislature, it’s with the residents of this state. They don’t think they should have to pay for college - not through the legislature funding of the State University System, and CERTAINLY not through individuals saving for and paying for private university education.</p>