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Florida college students are taking their fight against tuition increases to Governor Rick Scott. They failed to convince lawmakers not to raise tuition. A five percent increase awaits Scott’s approval, so does a plan to allow UF and FSU to raise tuition as much as they want. As Whitney Ray tells us, Scott has spoken out against tuition increases and now students are asking him to back up his words with action.

One month before session began Governor Rick Scott spoke out against tuition increases.

“With level funding of the universities they shouldn’t be increasing tuition,” said Scott on December 7th.

But lawmakers didn’t keep funding level, they cut 300-million… still students want Scott to veto a five percent tuition increase in the state budget.

“No one wants that. Especially in the state of the economy,” said Jennifer Staplefeld, a FSU Senior from Jacksonville.

At FSU Monday, students railed against the five percent increase.

“In January he said he would veto any legislation which had tuition increases,” said FSU Senior Jennifer Staplefeld.

They also asked students to call Scott and ask him to veto legislation allowing FSU and UF to raising tuition as much as they want.

“I pay myself through school right now. I pay my own bills. There is nothing else I could do to pay more than I do pay,” said Megan Hays, FSU Sophomore.

The increases would be used to replace state budget cuts. The cuts come on top of back to back years of reductions.

And the cuts are having a noticeable impact. Here at FSU’s College of Business five professors have been lured away by higher paying jobs. Three of them left for public universities in other states.

Private universities are also head hunting Florida professors. Students are noticing the changes.

“Las semester I had five classes, four of which were taught by graduate assistance. I only had one professor,” said Cherry Smith and FSU Junior.

A spokesman from Scott’s office says the governor is reviewing the budget, the tuition increase legislation and his options. If the governor signs the UF, FSU tuition increase bill, the schools will have until the end of May to submit their tuition increase request to the University System’s Board of Governors.