State pushes back on New College’s $15M funding request
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State officials on Wednesday debated whether to release $15 million in funding to New College of Florida, with some arguing the money was out of line with what other public universities are seeking. The criticism from the Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s public university system, was among the first and most public pushback from the board over New College president Richard Corcoran’s vision for the school’s future. Board member Eric Silagy took issue with the school’s per-student operating cost, an estimated $98,000 per student for the 2024-25 school year, according to Tampa Bay Times analysis. That’s nearly 10 times the average across the state system and dwarfs larger schools. Corcoran contended that per-student spending was closer to $68,000, but did not explain why.
“I realize there are economies of scale at play,” Silagy said. But schools like Florida Polytechnic, which ha...