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Scott Challenges Colleges To Offer $10,000 Degrees
November 27, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott “challenged” state colleges to create $10,000 four-year degrees, a continuation of his low-cost strategy for higher education that Democrats slammed as an attempt to turn the schools into “the Walmart of Education.”
Scott issued his challenge in a media blitz and a morning press conference at St. Petersburg College, with another event scheduled for Orlando in the afternoon.
“You should be able to work and go to school and not end up with debt,” Scott told WFLA TV, according to a transcript provided by his office. “If these degrees cost so much money, tuition is so high, that’s not going to happen. I have put out this challenge to our state colleges — we have 28 great state colleges — and say, ‘Can you come up with degrees where individuals can get jobs that the total degree costs $10,000?’”
State colleges are generally what used to be known as community colleges, though many of them now offer four year degrees.
The proposal echoes a similar push by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Scott’s political idol, for $10,000 degrees in that state. It also comes as Scott has made containing the costs of higher education a top priority after colleges and universities say years of budget cuts have forced tuition hikes.
At the morning press conference, St. Petersburg College President William Law said his school would accept the challenge.
“St. Petersburg College is once again excited about the opportunity to be part of a statewide college pilot program that lowers the cost of a college education for the citizens we serve,” Law said in a press release. “Affordable education always has been at the forefront of the college’s mission.”
Scott did not appear to be offering any new funding to colleges to help cover the cost of the initiative.
Scott has talked about the $10,000 degree program before, and others have proposed a set cost for higher education. A blue ribbon task force set up by Scott to study the State University System — which doesn’t include the colleges — recommended a similar goal for Florida’s 12 universities.
“The state will maintain a full-time, resident, undergraduate tuition option with a targeted rate of approximately … $15,000 for a bachelor’s degree,” the task force’s report said.
But the Florida Democratic Party blasted the idea in an email, saying Scott should instead focus on increasing funding for higher education.
“We’ve heard these empty words from Rick Scott before and Florida’s middle class families are looking for real leadership — not failed gimmicks masquerading as sound bites,” the party said.
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Comments
7 Responses to “Scott Challenges Colleges To Offer $10,000 Degrees”
The problem with college is the free market, they will all raise rates together and you won’t have a lower choice. Maybe a government ran college that was much cheaper would force the private sector to compete
The Walmart of Education? That makes me feel that if, for whatever reason, I can’t afford to go to college, then I don’t DESERVE to go. That’s just WRONG.
Our country needs to do something to make it more affordable. College should be equal opportunity and not just for our wallets’ sake.
“Why would the Democratic party be against these affordable degrees? Is it just because Rick Scott proposed it?”
Because saying that colleges should offer $10,000 degrees without offering any ideas on how to make it possible is an empty gesture. It’s like saying “I think that cars should get 100 miles to the gallon”, or “I think the Cubs should win a World Series”. It’s great as far as it goes, but it just doesn’t go very far.
Wow,that would be so great. I took one class that I wanted to help me at work. $600+ for that one class, two books and colledge costs. Then I never even needed one of the books that cost sixty bucks!
Why would the Democratic party be against these affordable degrees? Is it just because Rick Scott proposed it?
Honestly, it seems like each party tries to dismiss the ideas of the other party just because they didn’t think of it first.
This can happen!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Govonor Scott this is the best idea you have come up with yet.
College cost are extremely high and the reasons are not entirely clear to me.
Why can we buy (from a foreign country) a new textbook labeled “International Version” online for a fraction of the cost of an identical textbook locally?
Why does it cost over $1000.00 for a class (3 semester hours) at the local University? some of these classes only meet 2 or 3 times for a total of maybe 15 classroom hours?
Why do these schools have enormous staffs but when you have a problem it takes forever to get it resolved?
Why are interest rates so high on government backed student loans when there is virtually no risks to the lender? You cannot go bankrupt on these loans and they will garnish your wages or tax return to get their money.
One thing is clear; when the government made it easy for students to get loans the cost of books and tuition skyrocketed. The thinking was that the more students that could afford to attend the cheaper education would become. The truth is that it caused an increase in demand and therefore an increase in price.