Running a high-profile campaign means that you tout your accomplishments while in elected office while, at the same time, showing why the other candidates in the race are not as good a choice as you are.
For former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R), that strategy includes Bush talking about his time in the Sunshine State's highest office. One of Bush's campaign issues has been education, and he's told voters how he turned around education here in Florida. Those campaign claims aren't without opposition, though.
According to the Florida Democratic Party, Bush's record on education doesn't get as much of a passing grade as the former governor would like to think. In a press release, the Florida Democratic party says that Jeb Bush "oversaw (an) average in-state tuition increase of 48.2 percent during his tenure."
Our partners at PolitiFact Florida took a look at the FDP claim to see if it was accurate. PolitiFact reporter Joshua Gillin says that their claim rates MOSTLY TRUE on the Truth-O-meter. Gillin says that the FDP, for the most part, has their numbers in order.
"We took a look at the numbers and found that tuition rose even more than 48.2 percent under Jeb Bush," said Gillin. "The number is actually closer to 57 percent. The Florida Democratic Party had a slight problem with the way that they calculated their numbers. Regardless, tuition went up from about $47 per credit hour to just over $73 per credit hour during Gov. Jeb Bush's two terms."
Gillin notes that Florida was actually lower than the national average during that time frame. "According to some estimates, tuition went up around 75 percent in that same period, so Florida was still a fairly inexpensive state to attend college in," said Gillin. "So, is 48 percent considered a lot? That depends on your point of view, especially if you're the one writing out a tuition check."
Gillin also said that there are differences to note between fiscal years and political terms, as well as the exact powers the governor actually has. "You have to keep in mind that political office terms and fiscal years rarely line up," said Gillin. "That's the case here, and it's difficult to say what may or may not have happened in those three or four months on each end of the spectrum. Basically, it boils down to being an estimate rather than a hard number."
Gillin said that the Florida Democratic Party quoted the stats correctly, but a few details could have used clarification, which leads to the claim receiving a MOSTLY TRUE rating on PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter.
SOURCES: Tuition hike under Gov. Jeb Bush?
- PolitiFact ruling
- Florida Democratic Party, press release, June 25, 2015
- Tampa Bay Times, "Bush signs law abolishing board of regents," June 20, 2000
- Florida Times-Union, "Governor's big power grab could have unforeseen effects," March 22, 2001
- Associated Press, "Senate OKs education overhaul," May 4, 2001
- National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, "The ‘Seamless System’," Fall 2006
- National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, "Florida’s Governance of Public Education," March 2008
- Associated Press, "Florida Supreme Court rules tuition power resides with Legislature," Jan. 31, 2013
- PolitiFact Florida, "Florida has more black, Hispanic university students after ending affirmative action, Jeb Bush says," March 11, 2015
- PolitiFact Florida, "Rick Scott says Charlie Crist let college tuition increase up to 15 percent every year," June 4, 2014
- Florida College Access Network, "Tuition roundup: New laws aim to make college in Florida more affordable," June 23, 2014
- College Board, "Tuition and Fees and Room and Board over Time (Unweighted)," accessed June 26, 2015
- National Center for Education Statistics, "Digest of Education Statistics, Table 330.10," accessed June 26, 2015
- Florida College Access Network, "Undergraduate tuition and fees for students attending State University System of Florida institutions: 1978-79 to 2013-14," accessed June 26, 2015
- College Board, "Trends in College Pricing 1999," accessed June 29, 2015
- College Board, "Trends in College Pricing 2007," accessed June 29, 2015
- Florida Board of Governors, "7.001 Tuition and Associated Fees," accessed June 29, 2015
- Florida Board of Governors, "7.003 Fees, Fines and Penalties," accessed June 29, 2015
- Florida Board of Governors, "Tuition & Fees," accessed June 29, 2015
- Interview with Allie Brandenburger, Jeb Bush spokeswoman, June 25-26, 2015
- Interview with Jose Rios, College Board spokesman, June 25-26, 2015
- Interview with Troy Miller, Florida College Access Network associate director for research and policy, June 25, 29, 2015
- Interview with Brittany Davis, Florida Board of Governors spokeswoman, June 25-26, 29, 2015
- Interview with Jennifer Robinson, National Center for Education Statistics spokeswoman, June 26, 2015
- Interview with Tom Snyder, National Center for Education Statistics spokesman, June 26, 2015
- Interview with Melissa Bell, Florida State College Manatee-Sarasota Academic Resource Center manager, June 29, 2015