Tia Mitchell | Staff Reporter, December 5, 2012, Tampa Bay Times
The presidents of Florida’s state universities have an offer for the Legislature: Give us $118 million and we won’t raise tuition.

“What we’re asking for this year is a significant investment from the state, tied to specific goals to universities,” said University of West Florida president Judy Bense during Wednesday’s news conference. “With an investment provided for our students, we promise not to seek one penny of a tuition increase this year.”

This new funding would be on top of restoring a $300 million cut the Legislature imposed last year, something lawmakers are already building into the budget. The $118 million would be distributed to the 12 state universities according to performance-based goals, the presidents propose.

Gov. Rick Scott, returning from a Colombian trade mission Wednesday, issued a statement praising the universities’ position against tuition increases without mentioning their request for more tax dollars.

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