Tallahassee, FL (June 12, 2024) – Today, Chancellor Ray Rodrigues celebrated Governor Ron DeSantis’ commitment of $4.1 billion in state operating funding to the State University System of Florida through the Focus on Florida’s Future Budget.
“Due to Governor DeSantis, the Legislature and our twelve university presidents, Florida continues to lead the nation in higher education and has for eight years in a row,” said Chancellor Ray Rodrigues. “This year we received record funding for the State University System of Florida, which allows us to build upon monumental outcomes such as increasing our four-year graduation rates 10 percentage points in the last five years and growing research expenditures to a record $2.94 billion.”
“I’m honored to serve as chairman of the Florida Board of Governors during this pivotal time of national achievement and record funding for higher education. Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature’s investments yield a positive rate of return for all stakeholders. Florida continues to have the lowest in-state undergraduate tuition in the country, with 77% of undergraduate students graduating debt-free. Additionally, the Governor invested another $100 million in recruiting and retaining world-class faculty this year, underscoring the state’s commitment to excellence and opportunity in education,” said Chair Brian Lamb.
The Focus on Florida’s Future Budget further strengthens Florida’s commitment to maintaining its status as number one in higher education in the nation:
- The budget again invests $645 million for Performance-Based Funding to ensure students are receiving the highest quality education.
- Governor DeSantis championed and secured, for the second year in a row, $100 million for Performance-Based Excellence Recognition to recruit and retain world-class faculty.
- To continue their academic and research successes, the budget invests an increase of $100 million for Florida’s preeminent universities.
- To continue bolstering nursing education, the budget includes a total of $46 million for the PIPELINE and LINE Programs:
- $40 million for Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers, and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) to reward performance and excellence among nursing education programs at state universities
- $6 million for Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) to incentivize collaboration between nursing education programs and healthcare partners
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About the State University System of Florida and the Board of Governors
The State University System of Florida is a constitutional body led by the 17-member Board of Governors. The System has 12 universities and more than 430,000 students, making it the second-largest public university system in the nation. Florida has held the top spot in U.S. News & World Report for higher education since the inception of the rankings in 2017. Responsibilities include defining the distinctive mission of each institution and managing the System’s coordination and operation. The Board appoints a Chancellor who serves as the System’s chief executive. For more information, visit flbog.edu or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.