Daytona State College Becomes First In Florida To Reduce Tuition
By Space Coast Daily // August 22, 2015
DAYTONA, FLORIDA – As the cost of college tuition still trends upward at schools across the nation, Daytona State College may be among the first to begin steering the trend downward.
Supporting a recommendation by the school’s newly appointed president, Dr. Tom LoBasso, the college’s District Board of Trustees at its Aug. 20 meeting unanimously approved a 2 percent tuition decrease, making DSC the only public college in Florida, and among few in the nation, to do so in years.
The decrease, which will be effective for spring 2016 semester, will result in a savings of $31 per semester for full-time students.
“We are able to do this because we have been running very efficiently,” LoBasso told the board, noting he has been working with the college’s budget office since March to determine whether the reduction was feasible.
“Whenever possible, we have been able to reorganize without losing quality.”
LoBasso, who in June became DSC’s seventh president in the college’s near 60-year history, also noted that better-than-expected enrollment for summer and fall semesters made the decision to present the proposed tuition decrease to the board an easy one.
“This is a way to give back to our students,” he said.
“The college as a whole would like to make sure that education is affordable and accessible to all who come here. Strong enrollment helps us pass along budget savings to our students.”
In-state students pursuing two-year associate degrees will see tuition and related fees reduced 2 percent, from $104.48 to $102.39.
In-state tuition for bachelor’s degrees will remain the same; however, the same related fees – capital improvement, technology, student activities and financial aid fees – will see the 2-percent decrease.
The tuition reduction comes on the heels of a five-year tuition freeze at Daytona State, one that already marked it among the most affordable places to earn a college education nationwide.
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center, Daytona State tuition is less than half the national average for public four-year colleges and universities.
MORE: Offering more than 100 certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, Daytona State College has responded to the education and workforce training needs of Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond for more than 50 years.
The college enrolls nearly 30,000 students a year at its seven instructional sites, with graduates serving in critical fields including health care, emergency services, business, education, hospitality, engineering, technology and more.
Daytona State has been recognized as a leader in higher education numerous times, most recently by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked the college among the Top 10 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in the nation in 2015, for the third year running.
In 2013 the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center ranked DSC among the top 50 most affordable public four-year institutions in the country, with less than half the tuition of the national average.Community College Week, a leading publication in higher education, annually continues to feature the college in its list of Top 100 Associate Degree Producers.
And in 2015, U.S. News & World Report added DSC to its Top Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, ranked at No. 2 in the nation.
