The governor of Florida has challenged community colleges to create undergraduate degree programmes costing $10,000 (£6,250) or less. Rick Scott’s plea comes at a time when institutions across the state are struggling with budget cuts and students are dogged by rising costs and loan debts, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Although viewed as reasonably priced, pursuing a bachelor’s degree at a community college in Florida still costs considerably more than Mr Scott’s proposal. According to the state’s Department of Education, it costs on average $13,264 (£8,300) to study at a community college and more than $24,000 (£15,000) at a four-year public university. Mr Scott has been pressing publicly funded institutions to hold down tuition costs. Several community colleges have agreed to take him up on his proposition.
Source: Times Higher Education http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=422021&c=1