Florida College & University Leaders to Discuss House Cuts to Higher Education Budget

Cuts to Effective Student Education Grant (EASE) will severely impact eligibility of 22,000 students to attend 15 private universities, according to the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF)

MIAMI, April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida House of Representatives budget proposal will implement changes to the Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) Grant, which helps Florida students pay their tuition at qualified, independent, non-profit colleges and universities. If implemented, the changes would result in more than 21,000 students at 15 Florida universities losing access to this vital grant program.

WHAT: Virtual press conference featuring university presidents from the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) to discuss the devastating changes to the EASE Grant.

WHO:

• Mike Allen, Ph.D., President, Barry University
• David Armstrong, President, St. Thomas University
• Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., Chancellor, Keiser University

WHEN: Monday, April 7, 2025 | 11 AM

WHERE:

Virtual press conference, which can be accessed at: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88162758966?pwd=ffbPioCn2A12t7yiG6Nku7v9cR5a4f.1 
Meeting ID: 881 6275 8966
Passcode: 093966

MORE ABOUT EASE

• EASE provides lifeline funding to Florida residents attending qualified private, nonprofit universities in Florida. These schools are members of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF).
• This House proviso language will cause 21,836 students in Florida to lose access to EASE this year, forcing them to pay thousands more in tuition and limiting Florida residents' access to higher education.
• Students at 15 of Florida's independent, nonprofit schools, including every independent HBCU in Florida, most independent HSIs (Hispanic Serving Institutions), every private university in Miami-Dade County, the nation's top university for aeronautics, and Florida's two largest producers of nurses, will lose their tuition vouchers if this budget passes.
• The proposed changes to the EASE program threaten not only the financial stability of thousands of students but also the future workforce that supports Florida's economy.
• Many of the students who depend on EASE are critical to Florida's workforce demands – Florida's independent, nonprofit colleges and universities produce 28% of the state's nursing degrees and 25% of our teaching degrees compared to the state's public institutions. Cuts to EASE vouchers will impact many of the students pursuing degrees in these high-demand fields, forcing them to pay more for their degrees or leave school altogether.
• The cuts to EASE disproportionately impact non-traditional and low-income students who choose to attend independent, nonprofit colleges and universities. These students depend on EASE to afford tuition while juggling multiple jobs and family responsibilities. Without EASE, their ability to stay in school—and, for many, to break generational cycles of poverty—will be at serious risk.
  
  
• Every dollar spent on EASE generates $3.83 in tax revenue, making it one of the most cost-effective educational programs in Florida.
• For every $1 million in state support, ICUF institutions graduate 277 bachelor's degree recipients compared to just 17 graduates per $1 million from the State University System.
• EASE is a very small part of the Florida budget, yet it generates 79,529 Florida jobs every year and more than $10.1 billion economic impact in Florida each year.

JOURNALISTS AND PRESS MEMBERS

Members of the press are invited to attend and will have the opportunity to ask questions and interview university presidents.

All media should RSVP to Jeff LaLiberte at [email protected] or 954-821-3986.

About Keiser University:
Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Co-founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, the university now offers over 100 degree programs, ranging from associate to doctoral levels. As a designated Hispanic-serving institution, Keiser University is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. In 2025, it was ranked No. 22 in the U.S. for Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Report.

About St. Thomas University:
St. Thomas University (STU) is one of the South's premier Catholic universities. It is a private, nonprofit institution committed to fostering students' academic and professional success and helping them become ethical leaders in the global community. Rich with cultural and international diversity, STU is a Miami Archdiocesan university, the only archdiocesan university in Florida, and one of just 11 nationwide. STU offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programs online and on the university's beautiful Miami Gardens via its College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences & Technology, Benjamin L. Crump College of Law, Gus Machado College of Business, and Biscayne College for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. STU serves 7,660 undergraduate, graduate, and dual enrollment students, a 78% increase since President David A. Armstrong, J.D., took office in the fall of 2018. STU is completing $123 million in improvements, its biggest expansion since its 1961 founding, including adding 400,000 square feet of new facilities. Among other objectives, President Armstrong's new "Pursue Excellence" strategic vision seeks to build a new 99,000-square-foot STEM and nursing building, expand the Benjamin L. Crump College of Law, and construct new athletic facilities.

About Barry University
As South Florida's largest private Catholic institution of higher learning and as one of the leading universities in the nation for promoting social mobility, Barry University is preparing students for the future workforce by offering them more than 100 degree programs in a variety of disciplines and giving them the tools and real-world experience that transform concepts into impact. Barry's programs center on experiential and service learning, responding to market conditions and addressing critical societal needs. Barry graduates are socially conscious leaders in many industries and in their communities. Learn more at barry.edu.

SOURCE St. Thomas University, ICUF, Barry University, Keiser University