Future’s so bright, state must pony up more to pay for scholarships

Apparently, the future is so bright for Florida’s young scholars that the state’s primary college tuition assistance fund needs a $25.3 million boost to pay for all the scholarships students have earned this year. The Joint Legislative Budget Commission, which is made up of House and Senate leaders and can make mid-year budget changes, is scheduled to take up the issue Thursday. More from CBS Miami and the Florida Watchdog.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Community portrait: Education in Orlando

While other areas of the country the same size as the Orlando area might have 20 or 30 colleges/universities to serve a population of roughly 2.3 million, Valencia joins only the University of Central Florida (UCF) and Seminole State College as local public institutions, along with private Rollins College. [Source: Florida Trend]

Never mind: ‘Big mistake’ cited as USF St. Pete takes back 430 admission letters

The university says “human error” in the admissions office resulted in 680 applicants receiving an acceptance email while only 250 of them have actually been admitted. Now, the university is in the process of contacting each of the recipients of the mistaken email to answer questions and "discuss possible pathways for admission" in the future. More from the Tampa Bay Times and WFTS.

Column: Early College programs can help Florida build on its education success

Florida’s teachers and students should be proud of their efforts, as Florida’s high school graduation rate hit a new high of 86.1 percent in 2018, up from an abysmal 58.8 percent in 2006. However, there is still more work to be done. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida lawmaker wants Education Commissioner back on the ballot

State Sen. Janet Cruz filed a bill Tuesday that would return the state Commissioner of Education job to the ballot. “Floridians deserve the right to vote for who is leading our education system,” the Tampa Democrat said. “Voters currently have no direct influence on state education policy and this resolution seeks to put an end to that.” [Source: Florida Politics]

Special Section

Florida Trend Education Guide Designed to be a rich resource allowing Florida Trend readers, high school guidance counselors/ administrators, juniors and seniors the opportunity to compare and contrast Florida’s post-secondary educational options. All participating institutions will receive a two-page spread. For more information, click here.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida university fires 4 officials after spending probe [AP]
A three-month probe into improper spending at Florida's largest university has resulted in the firing of four school administrators. University of Central Florida President Dale Whittaker announced on Friday that he had begun the process to terminate the four officials.

› Opinion: UNF’s teaching interns are in big demand [Florida Times-Union]
As Florida’s population continues to grow, an increasing demand for teachers exists. Numbers compiled by the Florida Education Association show there were 4,063 teacher vacancies statewide as the 2018-19 school year started. UNF’s College of Education and Human Services is a part of the solution.

› E. Ray Solomon, former Florida State University College of Business dean, dead at 89 [Tallahassee Democrat]
E. Ray Solomon, who is credited with championing the growth and reputation of Florida State University’s College of Business during his 17-year tenure as dean, died at his home in Tallahassee Monday. He was 89.

› Blue Origin rocket launches with UCF, UF experiments on board [WKMG]
Blue Origin launched its New Shepard rocket NASA-selected experiments on board, including one from the University of Central Florida. UCF’s Collisions Into Dust Experiment, or COLLIDE, is a microgravity test examining how particles react in space. The University of Florida’s experiment will test a biological fluorescent imaging device developed for the International Space Station.