University issues statement regarding proposed block tuition

September 22, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida has proposed block tuition as an option to help increase accessibility.

Block tuition provides students an incentive to take more credits each semester, accelerating their progress toward a degree. The more quickly a student can receive his or her degree, the more quickly the next student can move into the university. In addition, families would gain a degree of financial predictability in that tuition would be the same regardless of the number of hours a student takes.

To clarify further, this would be a pilot program only for the University of Florida, and would be optional for the other 10 state universities. If approved, the earliest block tuition would take effect at UF is fall 2011.

This is only one tool among many in the tool box to increase accessibility. Allowing some students to attend spring and summer semesters only is another.

UF has spoken with the Board of Governors and assured its members that UF is taking the Bright Futures and prepaid tuition programs into account in its calculations.