MIAMI
The Board of Governors on Tuesday instituted a three-year freeze on freshmen enrollment at the funded level, meaning they will not increase the number of freshmen admitted to public universities.

With looming budget cuts and a 5 percent tuition veto, university officials said they fear the quality of education is being compromised. If students continue to flood the schools, they won't have access to advisers or the classes they need to graduate, said State University System Chancellor Mark B. Rosenberg.

"We have stretched the rubber band as far as we can stretch it. If we continue to place a premium on access and not graduation, we will be able to get the students in but not out," Rosenberg said.

The freeze, effective spring 2008, does not affect upper-division enrollment and community college transfers.

The board, which met at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, also approved a tuition hike. The unspecified raise also will take effect spring 2008 and will not exceed 5 percent.

The State University System includes 11 institutions and 300,000 students.

Rosenberg said current funding is roughly 60 cents on the dollar, meaning there are 5,627 students enrolled for which they don't receive basic state support.

Consequently, the board said the State University System has the worst student-faculty ratio in the nation.

Senate President Ken Pruitt said he was disappointed with the board's decision and promised a court battle.

"The Constitution clearly does not give the Board of Governors the authority to set tuition. It's the duty of the Legislature," he said in a statement. "Mark my word; we are going to fight to make sure the American dream of higher education is affordable for all students."

The board also decided to join a lawsuit filed by former Gov. Bob Graham, which asks the court to determine whether the Legislature or the Board of Governors holds authority to set tuition rates.