Scott's Fla. higher education panel meeting again

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State University President Eric Barron is facing a big selling job.

Barron is appearing Monday before Gov. Rick Scott's higher education overhaul task force to talk about tuition flexibility and university pre-eminence.

His appearance comes almost two months to the day after Scott vetoed a bill that would have done what Barron is advocating. It would have let Florida State and the University of Florida, the state's two leading research schools, raise tuition beyond the existing 15 percent annual legal limit.

The extra dollars would have been used to maintain and improve their national academic rankings.

Scott said they need to present more detailed plans on what students and taxpayers would get in return for the higher tuition before he can support the proposal.