The University of Florida Board of Trustees approved an increase for out-of-state students’ tuition, ratified a raise to UF Police Department’s salary and addressed UF’s need for an interim president during a virtual special meeting Wednesday.
In a June 25 university-wide email, the board wrote it was considering raising out-of-state students’ tuition by 10% for the upcoming Fall semester.
Nicholas Kozlov, UF’s chief financial officer, said funds from the increase will be used to offset instructional costs serving non-resident students. UF’s instructional costs have increased 25% over the last decade, but out-of-state tuition has remained the same, Kozlov said.
Even with the increase, he said UF would still maintain the lowest tuition cost by more than $10,000 compared to the top ten public universities in the country.
Twelve of the top 15 public universities have approved or are considering out-of-state tuition increases, he said. Fiscal year 2026 will be financially challenging for UF, he added.
“We've already seen approximately $55 million cut from our state allocation for operations compared to fiscal 25,” Kozlov said. “We're simultaneously seeing large increases in our employee benefit costs, driven by state health and retirement plans.”
The tuition hike proposal is a result of a motion approved by the Florida Board of Governors June 18, which allows universities to implement an increase to non-resident fees by 10% effective for Fall 2025.
Board Chair Mori Hosseini said the tuition hike might affect some returning non-resident students more than others. He proposed that out-of-state students who demonstrate significant financial hardship can receive a one-year waiver from the tuition hikes.
UF staff will recommend waivers to Mary Parker, UF’s vice president and chief enrollment strategist, who would be the last person to sign off on them, Hosseini said.
The board unanimously approved Hosseini’s proposal and the tuition hike.
It also ratified the Police Benevolent Association’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which would raise starting salaries for UFPD lieutenants, officers and sergeants by $13,000 and give dispatchers a $8,875 raise.
The department advocated for a salary increase to recruit more officers and offer more competitive pay compared to surrounding law enforcement and Florida public universities. UFPD base salary for certified officers was $51,000, which is below competitors’ starting salaries.
Hosseini, who was involved with the negotiations, said UFPD has done a great job in protecting students’ safety.
Board of Trustees member Richard Cole said the salary increase is a move in the right direction.
“When we have missing police because we are not paying sufficient to be competitive, it's a real concern,” Cole said. “Doing this is the right thing to do.”
Hosseini concluded the meeting by addressing the university’s ongoing presidential search after sole finalist Santa Ono was rejected by the Florida Board of Governors. UF is searching for an interim president, and it will “hopefully” start a new presidential search this coming year, he said.
Interim President Kent Fuchs’ contract ends July 31. He hasn’t indicated whether he will resign the contract.
“We'll get back to have another meeting on this once we know the direction we're going,” Hosseini said.
Contact Maria Avlonitis at mavlonitis@alligator.org. Follow her on X @MariaAvlonitis.
