Less gradual graduation

One size doesn't fit all when it comes to higher education in Florida. Until state lawmakers realize that, their "pay to stay" bill for students who linger at public universities will be flawed. The latest version of Senate Bill 2236 would charge 75 percent more in tuition once students accumulate 24 credit hours above the average 120 needed for a bachelor's degree. That would raise an in-state student's tuition from $68 to $119 per credit at current rates.

Not that students should be free to take as much time as they want to "find themselves" at taxpayer expense. In-state tuition covers only about one-quarter of actual college costs, and the current, roughly $3,000-per-year tuition is ridiculously low for a state flagship institution such as the University of Florida. But few students take classes just to waste time. Lawmakers who keep shorting education have little idea how much the plan would save but seem determined to do more than raise tuition another 7.5 percent this year.

"It's one of those extreme belief issues," said Florida Atlantic University President Frank Brogan. "One extreme believes in their heart that students are just dragging their feet and therefore we have to create artificial incentives. Others believe every student is working as hard and as fast as they can and can't get a degree any faster. The truth is always in the middle."

But the key to greater efficiency at schools such as his -- of mostly part-timers with jobs, spouses and children, and where the average student switches majors three times -- is an approach tailored for an FAU, not a UF. In contrast to UF's traditional campus model, for example, FAU's seven growing campuses are distributed over 150 miles of coastline. There's already a logistical problem for students trying to find the classes needed to complete a degree, and for the university in hiring enough faculty to provide those classes.

What the legislation should do instead is require each school's trustees to craft a policy, subject to approval by the Board of Governors, that, as Mr. Brogan said, "gets to the targeted audience but avoids doing unintended harm." The current bill's maximum $1,000 tuition rebate for students who graduate with fewer than three extra credits is a fine incentive. It's also an acknowledgment that for most students, a cookie-cutter approach won't cut it.