Florida: Oranges, sunshine and cheap tuition

August 31, 2009

Articles, NU Voices for Israel

New Voices (as opposed to Nu Voices), tha national Jewish student magazine, has a new issue out, with an article on the Jewish student boom at Florida universities:

According to Reform Judaism Magazine, five Florida universities are among the top 20 public colleges in America with the most Jews: the University of Florida (UF) ranked second and the University of Central Florida fourth, with Florida International University, the University Southern Florida and Florida State University (FSU) not far behind.

In 2008, the Census Bureau recorded that Florida’s Members of the Tribe make up 3.6% of the US Jewish population. Coincidence or not, a majority of these Jewish households are sending their children to Florida public universities.

One reason is the cost factor:

The struggling economy may have also become a large factor in the decision to stay in state. The College Board reports that in-state students at UF have to pay $3,790 each semester. Rutgers University, by contrast, costs $11,540 for in-state students each semester.

But aside from cheap tuition rates, many Floridians attend in-state schools because of scholarships. Bright Futures, the main Florida scholarship, rewards students who maintain a high GPA and high SAT/ACT scores. Earning this scholarship is a huge incentive to attend a Florida university because it can cover either 100% or 75% of tuition costs.