Members of the Florida Legislature cut ,22.1 million of state funding from UF's budget at the end of a 10-day special session Friday.
The cut was smaller than the ,26.9 million UF had anticipated earlier this year.
UF had planned to trim a total of ,34 million universitywide. The extra cuts would fund several suffering programs at UF.
UF already cut the extra ,4.8 million, stated a memo to UF's deans, directors and department chairs from UF President Bernie Machen.
That money will be reinvested back into UF, Machen wrote, but he hasn't decided how it will be spent.
"We have no way of knowing what this university could be facing in just a few months when the Legislature reconvenes in regular session," he wrote.
"Because of this uncertainty, I want to help insulate us from possible tough times ahead," he added.
The Legislature also approved a statewide 5 percent tuition hike, an additional 5 percent technology fee and linked tuition increases to state inflation.
If approved by Gov. Charlie Crist, the 5 percent tuition hike will take effect in spring 2008 for all Florida's 11 public universities. The increase would be about ,55 more per student.
Although Crist vetoed a 5 percent increase in May that would have taken effect this fall, he recently gave indications that he would favor the increase.
Machen wrote that some of the revenue from the extra tuition would fund need-based aid at UF.
The Legislature's hike is not the same as the tuition hike announced by Florida's Board of Governors at a September meeting.
The board, the State University System's highest governing body, increased tuition without permission from the Legislature for the first time since its 2003 creation.
In a July meeting, board members asserted that they have the constitutional authority to increase tuition.
A judge will rule on the decision by December.
Friday, Legislators also voted to link tuition increases with annual inflation hikes beginning in fall 2008.
The inflation rate is a continuing rise in prices based on the amount of money versus the amount of goods in the nation's market as calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The marriage could actually slow the rate of increases.
If tuition rates were linked to inflation 20 years ago, students would pay about 77 percent more today.
The actual tuition increases approved by the Legislature over the 20-year span have added up to about 214 percent.
The Legislature also voted to tack on a 5 percent technology fee, not included in tuition and not covered by the Bright Futures scholarship program.
Charging of the fee will begin in fall 2009.
