Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees vote to suspend classes at the Treasure Coast campus

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees voted this morning to suspend classes at the Treasure Coast campus in Port Saint Lucie.

Classes will be suspended within two weeks, on July 1.

The state Board of Governors still has to vote on what to do with the buildings and campus in Port St. Lucie, since the state owns the campus.

Classes at the Fort Lauderdale campus will also be closed over the next year. They will be completely shutdown by July 1, 2013.

The FAU Board of Trustees voted for a tuition hike of 15 percent.

 

"It hurts me because I have to take out more student loans," says FAU student Chris Lazare.

President Jane Saunders remarked "there is no other way" when discussing the need for the tuition increase. 

 

This will be the third year in a row FAU students have been saddled with tuition increases at a rate of 15%.

 

"The tuition increase is a detriment. Not only are we paying more, but we're getting less for our money," says Mirelle Dawoud, an FAU Sophomore.

The state cut another $25 million from FAU's budget this year.

 

"We have had to increase tuition to offset some of those but they never offset the entire amount," says Dennis Crudele, the Senior Vice-President of Finance for FAU.