The Florida College System Is A Good Investment For Students And State, According To Florida TaxWatch Research
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida College System (FCS), which encompasses 28 institutions, is the primary access point to undergraduate education for more than 800,000 Floridians, including approximately 63 percent of recent high school graduates and returning adult students. In addition, the FCS compares very favorably with similar systems in other states, according to the number of Aspen Institute award winners and top ranking (2nd nationally) by U.S. News and World Report.
Florida’s trusted premier, independent government watchdog for forty years, Florida TaxWatch, has taken a fresh look at the return on investment of the Florida College System (FCS) in their latest independent analysis.
“There are thousands of job openings in Florida because businesses cannot find employees with the set of skills they are looking for,” said Representative Toby Overdorf. “Thanks to the excellent research from Florida TaxWatch, we can see that the Florida College System is a national leader compared to other state systems and continues to be a good investment for the state.”
“A great many of our university graduates started at a community college, myself included,” said Florida TaxWatch President & CEO Dominic M. Calabro. “Florida’s college system has provided an opportunity for generations of Floridians to have a better life, and the return on the state’s taxpayers’ investment has been significant. In order to make Florida number 1 in the U.S. for workforce education, we must continue to invest in these worthy institutions.”
With increased expected worklife earnings of $491,777 to $838,023 and a repayment of total cost time of only 2.50 to 3.80 years, the return on investment for students is significant. In addition, the higher worklife salaries earned by degree holders compared to high-school completers compared with the public investment in the system translates to a return of $10.8 to $15.42 in increased Florida Gross Domestic Product for every $1 invested and generates nearly 10,000 new jobs.
“The Florida College System provides low-cost, high-quality educational programs designed to meet the state’s essential workforce needs,” said Chairman Ronald Brise of the Florida TaxWatch Center for Educational Performance Accountability Advisory Board. “This investment is one that has and will continue to pay off for all Floridians.”
“The Florida College System offers affordability and flexibility to Floridians from all walks of life, many of whom are first-generation, minority or underrepresented in higher education,” said Senior Vice President Charles Hokanson of the Florida Community Engagement and Helios Education Foundation. “I’m grateful that Florida TaxWatch’s research has highlighted the benefits of FCS institutions and how they contribute to the success of the state’s workforce.”
Read the FULL research report here.
About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog & taxpayer research institute for forty years, the trusted eyes and ears of Florida taxpayers, Florida TaxWatch, works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on citizens, businesses, and the taxpayers of the Sunshine State.
As a scientific research institute, Florida TaxWatch is supported by voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants, and does not accept government funding. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled Florida TaxWatch to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the citizens it serves since 1979. For more information, please visit http://www.floridataxwatch.org.