According to this article in the Orlando Sentinel, the University of Florida is in hunker-down mode. UF is slashing undergraduate enrollment by 4,000 students, laying off 138 faculty and staff members, and eliminating some courses and degree programs to make up for the loss of $47 million in state money.
The sweeping cuts announced Monday by UF President Bernie Machen reflect the pressure all 11 of Florida’s public universities are under to trim ongoing costs because of declining state revenues.
Locals are likely to take the biggest hit as transfer students from nearby community colleges face tougher competition for entrance despite a provisional acceptance policy that has assured students in good standing admission to state universities.
There are rumblings and grumblings on the UF campus–indeed, on many American university campuses–that the college administrators are busy courting foreign students who pay full international rates while the local kids get shut out.
It’s a trend. Best plan of attack? Become a bold schooler and learn how to get a recession-proof education that doesn’t cost a fortune. Hint: one way is to become an international student yourself, but NOT through a high-priced program. The fact is that there are universities around the world where you can take classes–in English–for about $1000 a semester and then transfer back to the US. Who knew your “semester abroad” could be the cheapest part of your college education?
Tough times call for more creativity–not necessarily more money. Don’t let the numbers get you down. There are plenty of ways to get a college degree from a respected university WITHOUT relying on mega-loans.
I’ll have much more on this in my book called The World Is Your Campus.
I just turned in the first bigger-than-half chunk of the manuscript and now I’m deep into writing the section on independent study abroad. I’m also working on the big-escape family chapter called “What Your Financial Advisor Doesn’t Know: How to Save Thousands For College By Living Abroad”…it’s one of my favorite topics! 
