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Florida students on bright futures scholarships will soon have to cough up cash to pay tuition costs.

Lawmakers are increasing tuition, but not funding for the scholarship program in order to save the state money. Students on a full bright futures scholarship will be paying at least eight percent more next fall. The percentage could be much higher as individual schools will be able to raise a differential tuition rate. Governor Charlie Crist says the economy is forcing the change to the scholarship program.

�I think it is fairly obvious to most folks that this is a tough economy and we have to tighten our belts a little bit, and that is just sort of the reality of what we are dealing with and I understand, I�d rather not have to do it to but we have to be realistic,� siad Crist.

Many fear separating Bright Futures from actual tuition costs is just the first step on a path to drastically changing the scholarship program.