FRAG continues to develop for Florida students

By Haley M. Walker | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Director of Admissions Marc Williar says cutting FRAG has the potential to affect many current and prospective students and could also change the composition of the college.

Gov. Charlie Crist has threatened to make the largest cut to The Florida Resident Access Grant in its 29-year history, according to The Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.

If the proposal goes through, 15,000 students will be out of the program, and $47 million in tuition assistance will not be available any longer.

Students who are already receiving the FRAG currently will not be affected right away.
According to Williar, Flagler is composed of 65 percent in-state students and 35 percent out-of-state students.

He says these percentages could change if financial help like the FRAG were to be cut or even completely eliminated.

“I think that the big thing is not just how it’s going to affect admissions but how it’s going to affect retention,” Williar said. “There are going to be students who are barely making it right now and say you cut FRAG in half and that $1,500 is going to make the difference between whether they can attend Flagler or not.”

In response to the fact that many students may not be able to attend private colleges without the help of aid like FRAG, Williar says recruitment for out-of-state students will have to be increased.

“You become more aggressive in your out-of-state recruitment, assuming that we are going to be loosing some of our in state students,” Williar said. “It is something that we are already doing.”

According to Williar, the 65/ 35-percentage ratio of in-state and out-of-state students is expected to come closer to 50/50 if FRAG is cut. Because Crist has labeled FRAG’s cut as only a proposal, more information about the effects will continue in the future.

Additionally, the effect on Flagler College as a whole and on an individual basis will continue to be monitored.