FORT MYERS, Fla. — Student loans are a hot topic for millions of college students.
florida bright futuresThis is a program in which students who meet certain academic requirements in high school receive a scholarship to attend university.
“The reason Florida was already investing in K-12 education was to keep students in the state, and we’ve been successful in doing that,” he said.
F. King Alexander, a professor of educational leadership at FGCU, worries that college graduates will become renters rather than buyers.
“Merit-based scholarships are disproportionately offered to high-achieving students from high- and upper-middle-income families and are funded through the Florida Lottery,” Alexander said.
He believes this is problematic because historically the people who play the lottery are from low-income households. Florida ranks on the national average for higher education debt compared to other states when students do not take advantage of or qualify for the program.
“We generally believe that the typical Florida student is approaching 40,000, with the national average being about 38,000,” he said.
Alexander says he believes that gap should come from federal lawmakers.
“The domino effect is really starting in Tallahassee and 49 other state capitols, which means a reluctance to provide aid to public universities and colleges to keep college costs low. ” Alexander said.