The cost of a college education in Florida is going up, but the quality isn’t.

All 11 of Florida’s public universities are seeking the maximum tuition increase allowed by the state, but many colleges will still cut programs and lay off professors.

The University System’s Board of Governors is expected to approve the 15-percent tuition hikes for all of the schools at its Thursday meeting.

Florida college students are looking for extra cash to cover a 15-percent increase.

Even though students will pay more, they won’t get an extra bang for their buck. The tuition hike will pump $35 million into the state’s 11 public universities...not enough money to stop cut backs.

Florida State University is cutting $56 million from its budget. To make ends meet, the school may lay off 200 employees and cut programs.

And it’s not just FSU scaling back. Three consecutive years of budget cuts have hurt all of Florida’s universities.

And while raising tuition won’t save universities in the near future, a steady increase over time could go a long way to help stabilize funding.