House tuition bill may ignite battle.

Publication: The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 The Miami Herald

Byline: Gary Fineout

Mar. 30--TALLAHASSEE -- Setting the stage for a possible constitutional clash, the Florida House overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday that spells out that lawmakers will continue to decide how much tuition students at public universities should pay.

The bill, approved by a 97-17 vote, reflects a turf battle that will affect how much students pay for college and will have long-standing ramifications on the Bright Futures scholarships and the state's prepaid tuition program.

The Legislature is at odds with the state Board of Governors, the panel created by a constitutional amendment to oversee public colleges and universities.

Large tuition increases could force lawmakers to make politically unpopular decisions to cut the college scholarship program, which costs $276 million a year, or cancel prepaid tuition contracts....

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