SPC receives $43,750 from state foundation

St. Petersburg College has received $43,750 from the Florida State College Foundation to be used for scholarships to the college.

Dr. Tom Furlong and Joe Lang present the scholarship checks from the Florida State College Foundation

The presentation was made Tuesday at the Board of Trustees meeting. To see only this portion of the meeting, start at the 5:10 point of the video.

“The Florida College System Foundation has done an outstanding job developing relationships with statewide funders for the benefit of the 28 state colleges across Florida,” said Frances Neu, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the Foundation. “The SPC Foundation is deeply grateful for the support and the opportunity to provide scholarships to more students as they seek to realize their educational and career goals.”

Here is a breakdown of the gifts received from the Florida College System Foundation:

$3,778.64 to support the Bank of America Dream Makers Scholarship

• The Dream Makers Scholarship was established through a $1-million gift from Bank of America and equally matched by the state of Florida through the Dr. Philip Benjamin Matching Grant. The earnings from the endowment are awarded annually and equally distributed to Florida’s 28 colleges. This scholarship is awarded to first-generation students to cover tuition, books, feed and childcare.

$27,311 to support the Helios Education Foundation First Generation Scholarship

• This gift is from a grant from the Helios Education Foundation. These scholarships help fund tuition, books and fees for first-generation in college students. Preference is given to students who are preparing for a career in education with the intent to become a teacher in Florida.

 $12,661.75 to support the Florida Blue Scholarship

• This scholarship supports students studying nursing and allied health programs in order to meet the growing need for skilled nurses and allied health professionals who serve the diverse population of Florida.

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Board of Trustees meeting recap

The Board of Trustees met Tuesday and approved the $145-million budget for 2012-13. The budget includes a 4.5 percent tuition increase for lower division classes and a 5 percent increase for upper division classes.  The increase in upper division tuition was set legislatively. The board decreased the lower division increase from 5 percent to 4.5 percent Tuesday.

The new rates, which go into effect July 1, are:

Lower division courses: Florida residents: $105.75; Out-of-state residents: $380.90

Upper division courses: Florida residents: $116.70; Out-of-state residents: $419.79

President Bill Law said the focus of this year’s budget enhancements is on student success and implementing the College Experience initiatives. Full details of the budget are available on the Board of Trustees website.

Other meeting highlights, the board:

• Approved the Compensation and Classification Study for Career Service employees. Consultant Fox Lawson & Associates has spent almost a year reviewing job descriptions, duties and salaries.  The new classification and salary schedule provides fewer, more consistent job titles, updates job descriptions and establishes clearer paths of possible job progression.
• Adopted the five-year master plan for construction projects.
• Reviewed floor plans for the new Midtown center and asked for revisions to be brought back next month to include more classroom space.

The entire board agenda, including the presentations, and the video of the board meeting also are available on the Board of Trustees website. The next meeting is July 17 at the EpiCenter.

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Tuition at St. Petersburg College to increase 8 percent

     SPC’s Board of Trustees has approved tuition hikes of 8 percent. Unless vetoed by the governor, in-state tuition for lower division courses will go to $94.08 per credit hour, up from $87.12. In-state tuition for upper division courses will be $101.72 per credit hour, up from $94.95.

     Out-of-state residents will now pay $341.65 per credit hour for lower division courses, and $391.93 per credit hours for upper division courses. The new tuition rates take effect beginning fall 2010.

     Tuition at SPC is still a better deal than at state universities, where the average in-state cost per credit hour is $145. Most of the institutions have indicated they will increase their tuition by as much as 15 percent for the coming year, leaving SPC as a solid choice for students pursuing undergraduate degrees.

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