<p>UF won't tell new students about charge
PROVOST SAID IT'S TO EARLY TO INFORM BECAUSE THE BILL HAS NOT YET PASSED.</p>
<p>By JESSICA DaSILVA
Alligator Writer
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Though about 25,000 high school seniors have applied to UF, administrators don't plan on informing them they might have to pay a $1,000 yearly charge on top of tuition and fees. </p>
<p>In a telephone interview Saturday, Provost Janie Fouke said unless students "read it in the paper," the university won't give notice regarding the possible hike. </p>
<p>In his Academic Enhancement Program, UF President Bernie Machen proposed the charge, which won't be covered by the Florida Bright Futures scholarship program or the Florida Prepaid College Plan, to counter UF's low in-state tuition. </p>
<p>Last year, Bright Futures paid tuition and fees for about 96 percent of the students admitted to UF, Fouke said. </p>
<p>But before the program can go into effect, the Florida Legislature must approve it. </p>
<p>The fee, which would be charged to all incoming undergraduate students starting this Fall, will be used to hire about 200 additional faculty members and 100 academic advisers. </p>
<p>In a USA Today survey of the in-state tuitions of 75 U.S. flagship universities for this academic year, UF ranked the lowest, charging $3,206. </p>
<p>Fouke said UF wouldn't inform incoming students about the charge, saying it would be "presumptive" of the Legislature's decision. </p>
<p>"They'll get their bill just like everyone gets their bill," Fouke said. "Right now, nobody knows what (the Legislature's) going to do." </p>
<p>Out of the roughly 25,000 applicants, UF will admit about 10,000, Fouke said. Though she expects about 6,600 to enroll, that isn't a guaranteed number. </p>
<p>Fouke said the number of students who choose UF over other schools has been increasing for the past five years, but UF officials did not consider the trend when drawing up the program. </p>
<p>Fouke doesn't think the extra charge will deter students from choosing UF over other schools. </p>
<p>"Gosh, no," she said. "I mean, we have 25,000 applicants. That's a lot of students who want to come here." </p>
<p>Amy Dohrer, a high school senior from Vero Beach, said she still plans to attend UF despite the proposed charge. </p>
<p>However, Dohrer said she thought it was unfair of UF not to inform students about the program. </p>
<p>"I just feel uninformed," she said. "(UF) should be straightforward about it, and I don't know why they're not. I mean, I think it's a good idea, but I think we should be informed."</p>