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No Longer Free, Adult Ed Program Enrollment Drops Dramatically
November 22, 2011
In the four months since Florida began charging tuition for adult education programs, enrollment has dropped dramatically, prompting concern from some lawmakers that the Legislature may have gone too far.
Since requiring not only tuition, but also documentation to determine residency, enrollment in adult education classes offered at colleges has dropped 45 percent and enrollment offered through some school districts has dropped 38 percent, according to preliminary data by the state Department of Education.
Last legislative session, lawmakers took a close look at charging for adult education programs, which generally are offered for free through school districts and colleges, as they grappled with a large budget shortfall.
Typically, students who do not have a high school diploma take the courses to study for their GED, learn English, or take basic adult education classes. A new law was passed that required in-state students to pay $45 for half a year or $30 per term in block tuition for the courses. Non-residents pay three times that amount.
Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, said the intent was to make sure adult ed students “had some skin in the game,” and clamp down on the low completion rates for the free courses. “(Adult students) need that education, but they should also see the value of it and that it is worth something,” Lynn said.
One unintended consequence has been the impact tuition has had on inmates in Florida’s jails, prisons and juvenile justice facilities. Because of new requirements that require documentation to prove residency, and the tuition, some inmates cannot register for or pay for the classes, lawmakers said.
“There are many people incarcerated who cannot afford this minimal amount we are asking them to pay,” said Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa. “We have an obligation to see how we can perhaps fix it.”
Lynn said she had received calls from adult education teachers who reported their classes were cut at jails and they were out of job, blaming the new law for their plight because students could not register or pay for classes.
But when pressed for details, Tara Goodman, the head of the division of career and adult education with the Department of Education, said it was too soon to tell how many inmates were impacted by the new law.
Last year, about 333,000 Floridians were enrolled in adult education courses, with about 10 percent of those coming from prisons, jails or juvenile justice facilities, Goodman said.
Florida has the second-highest number of adult education students in the country and it spent $256 million last year educating these students. The new fees are not designed to fully fund the cost of these courses.
By Lilly Rockwell
The News Service Of Florida
Comments
8 Responses to “No Longer Free, Adult Ed Program Enrollment Drops Dramatically”
$45 a year is still a bargain compared to local college tuition. At least now those paying the fee are actually serious about their education. It’s no longer a handout as it was never intented to be anyway.
The florida lottery is no way connected to the adult education system. The word “ADULT” means those no longer in the public school system. Many of these adults had plenty of time and oppurtunity to do well in the public school system but chose not to.
Why are we giving inmates a free education anyway? They already receive free room, meals, and unlimited appeals. The tax paying public did not cause these folks to commit these crimes.
We live in a society that over taxes and regulates those who work hard and try to get ahead. This same society rewards those who choose not to work, commit crimes, and play the system.
It seems we’ve lost our direction in this country.
REGARDING:
“ enrollment offered through some school districts has dropped 38 percent, according to preliminary data by the state Department of Education.”
There were reports that schools were pressured to lower their drop-out rates. Up until this year, one way to do so was to transfer drop-outs to Adult Education. Officially they didn’t drop out of high school so the high school graduation rate numbers looked better. Most of those “transfers” never showed up the first time but were considered Adult Ed drop-outs so the high schools were in the clear.
They’ve changed the rules so that scam won’t work any more. Further, now that it actually requires proof of residence and money, it would be harder and more expensive to fake the transfers.
It could well be that the total number of graduates will stay nearly the same even though the number of enrollees drops.
David for honesty
Get a grip! Our country is bankrupt. It is such a small fee. Half the people that went to college with me did not even use their degree for what they finally decided to do. I have met many “professional Students” who do not have a clue how to work.
We have struggled getting and paying for my private college education along with our children”s. It is a sacrifice but it can be done. You learn to ‘BUDGET”!! We live in a society that is not welling to sacrifice. People do not really want to WORK for their education they want a “hand-0ut”!
Well “free education” is not so free anymore. I understand the costs associated with certain classes and no I don’t feel any teachers should burden the costs, as they all do for lots of things for their students, however see how much free is when you have children in public schools. I have numerous checks that I fill out and send to different classes each new school year for this free education. I feel if you have to pay for public mandated then you should pay for voluntary. I would like to add a Thank You to all educators and support personnel!
Individuals should have taken complete advantage of their opportunity to receive a free, quality education the first time around when they should have been attending a regular school. It is not the lawmakers fault that students did not take advantage of a free education, these individuals should have to pay for their courses since they didn’t take advantage of it the first or second time in school. We are worried about the inmates not being able to afford adult education classes; really, they could be working in a great field already if they didn’t commit crimes that put them behind bars.
Stay out of trouble and stay in school. Everyone is afforded the opportunity to a free, quality public education, if they don’t take advantage of it, they should pay for courses that they failed or did not complete for their own negligence.
would you rather people not better themselves, not get an education, not get a good job, end up on the side of the road begging and sitting you your tax dollars while the state is paying for his/her food stamps and health care because he/she cant get a good job with out a education to pay for healthcare and food? maybe he/she didnt get a good education when school was free because he/she fell behind and noone noticed… i mean people need to have every chance to right their wrongs .. i would rather us pay for their education than to pay for their welfare.. jus sayin
So what’s the problem? People go or went to school when it was free for something to do inspite of themselves. Now the taxpayers are saved a bundle. Why should the taxpayer pay twice anyway? It’s also not our responsibility to keep unneeded teachers employed.
So much for our wonderful lottery that was billed as a a boon to the funding of education in Florida. I think a lot of people are getting rich off of the lottery…sure would be nice to see some of their salaries. I bet four or five of those nice salaries could completely fund adult education.