Published: Sunday, July 28, 2013 at 12:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, July 29, 2013 at 3:28 a.m.
LAKELAND | Florida Polytechnic University may offer free tuition even beyond the first year of enrollment to boost enrollment at the new school.
The state's 12th university is scheduled to open its doors to a projected 500 students in the fall of 2014.
University leaders have established the goal of obtaining Southern Association of Colleges and Schools candidacy status by mid-2015 and accreditation by the end of 2016.
With accreditation on the horizon, Florida Poly leaders are banking on free tuition to help draw the best and the brightest students to the campus early on.
During a meeting Friday of the university's Academic Affairs Committee, members discussed the possibility of offering free or reduced tuition beyond the first year.
Trustee Sandra Featherman wondered how the school will be able to afford to operate for a year without tuition.
"Where is the money going to come from for our programs?" she asked.
Chief Executive Officer Ava Parker said the topic of tuition waivers and funding for the scholarships will be addressed at the next board meeting.
"We have communicated those numbers to the foundation," she said.
The Florida Polytechnic University Foundation, the fundraising arm of the school, would need to bring in about $3 million to cover a year's tuition for about 500 students.
Featherman said she wants to talk about allowing students to attend a second and perhaps third year at discounted rates as well.
"I personally dislike front loading," she said. "We don't want to bring them in and let them sink."
Students could have a tapering off of scholarship funds, such as a 75 percent waiver, then 50 percent, etc., she said.
School officials said once the school obtains accreditation and is established, such incentives won't be necessary ? but initially scholarships will be necessary.
Florida Poly was created by legislation that essentially called for the phasing out of the former University of South Florida Polytechnic, which was based in Lakeland. Florida Poly took over its budget and the under-construction building designed by architect Santiago Calatrava.
Before the changes were made, USF Poly had promoted a "Hot 100" drive that was to provide free tuition, books and waived fees for that many first-year students.
Florida Poly hired two people earlier this month who will start the school's admissions team and focus on student recruitment.
Scott Rhodes, who has more than 14 years' experience in higher education, was named executive director of admissions.
The associate director will be Beth Pierpoint, a lawyer who most recently was director of admissions for Barry University School of Law in Orlando.
Source: http://www.theledger.com/article/20130728/news/130729264
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