Students will graduate with the least debt at these Florida colleges and universities

| 2/1/2024

Students will graduate with the least debt at these Florida colleges and universities

The amount of debt college students run up has been rising dramatically in recent decades, a worrying trend that has complicated the lives of millions of adults and rippled through national politics. In Florida, state leaders have made it a priority to keep tuition rates low in public universities and colleges. As a result many of the state’s schools are considered high-value degrees, with some of the lowest tuition rates in the nation. But the amount of debt students take on still varies considerably from school to school. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

See also:
» Florida Prepaid College Board introduces significant price reductions for open enrollment

What’s missing from Florida’s school choice options?

While Florida’s menu of school choice offerings is undeniably popular, the programs are not without limitations. That’s especially true for the state’s ESA programs. Currently, Florida families can use their ESA dollars to pay for pre-approved private school tuition, homeschooling materials, or other school-related costs. [Source: Florida Politics]

Florida bill would let chaplains in schools

A House committee Tuesday approved a proposal that would allow school districts to authorize chaplains to provide services to students, putting the bill in a position to be considered by the full House. Under the measure (HB 931), school districts and charter schools could adopt policies that would authorize volunteer chaplains to offer “support, services and programs” for students. [Source: WFTV]

College in prison? In Florida, not so much

Higher education opportunities in Florida's prisons are hard to come by. Today, only about 326 students are enrolled in college programs in Florida prisons, according to data provided by colleges. That's only a tiny fraction of the more than 80,000 people incarcerated in the state. The Florida Department of Corrections oversees 128 correctional facilities, only ten of which offer college programs. (One of those is a re-entry center, another is a privately run prison.) [Source: Miami New Times]

Florida schools turn to metal detectors as kids bring guns

Some Florida schools are again heightening security amid rising threats of violence and weapons on campus. Several are looking to protecting their perimeters. Parents say they hope security goes beyond metal detectors. “Our kids should be the first priority. And we need to protect them with every resource that we have,” Vero Beach parent Kelly Stephens said. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› With student behavior improving, Florida school district seeks greater gains [Tampa Bay Times]
After students returned to classrooms from the pandemic, reports abounded from teachers about having to deal with disciplinary problems like never before. Many students, they said, did not appear to know how to behave. A couple of years later, one of Florida’s largest school districts is reporting success in turning the situation around.

› SpaceX launches UF/IFAS microbiology experiment to ISS [UF News]
Beating staph infections can be tricky in the best of times. But what happens if you get infected while in space? That’s the scenario Kelly Rice, associate professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, hopes to help understand. Rice’s experiment will be launched today, Jan. 30, to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket.

› Florida organizations offer scholarship opportunity for Black entrepreneurs [WSVN]
Aspiring or current Black business owners in Florida have an opportunity to earn a college degree for free. The African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida teamed up with Florida Technical College to offer a full tuition scholarship, valued at over $61,000. It covers tuition and fees for a bachelor’s degree in business, entrepreneurship, management, and marketing.

› American Express offers jobs, internships to 25 FIU students [FIU News]
The students, the majority of them women studying computer science, spent three weeks at the company as part of a new micro-internship program facilitated by Break Through Tech Miami. "Sprinternships," as they are called, are micro-internships designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry. Unlike traditional internships, they don’t require students to ace a technical interview as a prerequisite.

Tags: Education eNews

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