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The big story: Gov. Ron DeSantis isn’t one to shy away from boasting when Florida gets a top national ranking for its programs and services, including education.
He readily acknowledges that many ratings are subjective, based heavily on perspective. But when it comes to one metric, no other states approach Florida, DeSantis said Thursday during a press conference about prepaid tuition programs.
“The one thing that is just absolutely unquestioned is, we are the most affordable higher education in the country. It’s not even close,” DeSantis said. “We have had zero, not one penny, of increase in tuition since I’ve been governor in 2019. No other state can say that.”
In a time when Americans are seeking affordability, it’s an assertion that has appeal. Is it accurate? Yes and no.
Florida has not increased tuition for residents since DeSantis took office and even before that. Gov. Rick Scott first put a tuition freeze in place back in 2014-15.
For out-of-state students, it’s not the same scenario. Non-Floridians pay a higher rate to attend state schools, and they saw their tuition rise this past summer after the Board of Governors authorized price hikes of 10% to 15%.
How does Florida compare to other states?
The Education Data Initiative shows that Florida has the lowest average yearly in-state tuition for public universities in the nation. And it’s one of the few states to maintain such a long-standing freeze.
Pennsylvania ended seven years of frozen tuition in 2025. Illinois, Vermont and New Hampshire raised their rates for 2026 after having held their tuition steady since 2019, the same year DeSantis became governor. Last month, North Carolina lifted its nine-year tuition freeze.
But Florida is not alone.
In South Carolina, Clemson trustees last summer approved a sixth year of frozen in-state rates, while USC held steady for an eighth straight year. In Indiana, Purdue University trustees implemented a 14th consecutive tuition freeze for in-state and out-of-state students. Indiana established a two-year freeze for all its schools over the summer.
A few other states are looking to join the trend. Iowa lawmakers, for example, have been debating legislation to impose a five-year tuition freeze. And last week, Maine’s governor signed a law making community college free permanently, though the University of Maine approved a tuition hike weeks earlier.
Hot topics
Budget update: House and Senate budget negotiators announced Thursday they had arrived at joint allocation amounts for fiscal 2027, allowing the budget process to advance. They landed at $16.2 billion for PreK-12, just slightly below the amount proposed in the FEFP calculation during session, and $6.68 billion for higher education. The chamber leaders issued a proclamation setting special session for May 12-29, with conference committees authorized to meet during the first week. Afterward, members would return home as unresolved issues get bumped up. The final budget vote is anticipated after Memorial Day. Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
Campus leadership: University of South Florida trustees chairman Will Weatherford announced he is stepping aside, but will remain on the board. • Florida is an outlier across the nation when it comes to placing politicians in university presidencies, Bay News 9 reports. • Several dean positions remain unfilled at the University of Florida, the Gainesville Sun reports.
Campus safety: Hillsborough County’s Plant City High School is increasing its security measures after three incidents led parents to call for action. • The Broward County school district has paused its plan to replace resource officers from local law enforcement with district police, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
Civil rights: The Anti-Defamation League filed a federal complaint against Bay County schools, alleging the district took no action on complaints of antisemitic bullying, Times of Israel reports.
Schools of Hope: The Miami-Dade County school board approved an agreement to allow Success Academy, a New York-based charter operator, to have classrooms in five district high schools, the Miami Herald reports.
Teacher contracts: As Lee County schools make staffing plans for the coming year, officials make clear that hiring decisions are not based on length of experience, WGCU reports. • Sixty St. Johns County district teachers will face budget-related non-reappointments, and may apply for other vacancies as they arise, St. Johns Citizen reports.
From the court docket … An Osceola County family is suing their child’s private school, contending it did not do enough to prevent child-on-child sexual abuse on campus, WESH reports.
In their own words
“These books violate state law, period, end of story.” — Blake Harper, Duval County political activist, on formal book challenges he filed (Jacksonville Today)
“This is a historic moment in our community as we work to bring back the rights that educators have to advocate for our profession, our students, and our community.” — Jennifer Redfern, president of Jefferson County Education Association, on reestablishing a teachers union (Jacksonville Free Press)
“NIL was supposed to be about endorsements and licensing. It wasn’t supposed to be perpetual free agency where boosters are constantly paying players to keep them from transferring.” — Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking about college athletics (WPEC)
Quick quiz
Pinellas County schools have proposed a new requirement for volunteers. What does it expect?
a) Volunteer at least 45 hours a year
b) Self-report arrests within 48 hours
c) Spend time at more than one school
Find the answer in this story from the Tampa Bay Times.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
The Tampa Bay Times Education Hub reports on Florida’s schools and universities and the students they serve. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund by clicking here.
