Budget conference: House and Senate strike land deal on USF transfer to New College

The House and Senate reached a late-night Sunday budget deal to transfer University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee’s classrooms, dorms and property to New College of Florida.

New College will receive all of USF Sarasota-Manatee’s fixed capital facilities, equipment and furniture.

That means New College — the small Sarasota liberal arts school that Gov. Ron DeSantis took over in 2023 — will inherit 32 acres of land, new residence halls and a laboratory under construction, according to Inside Higher Ed.

The budget language directs New College to assume full liability by Dec. 31 for any outstanding debt as of July 1 and to send monthly payment to USF for debt service. 

The agreement also says USF students enrolled at the Sarasota-Manatee campus prior to July 1 must get priority use for classroom space in the transferred facilities. It also requires New College to honor USF students’ leases at the residence halls until Aug. 15, 2027, unless students move out sooner.

Sen. Ed Hooper, who is leading budget negotiations for the upper chamber, said previously that the “heartburn” Senate leaders had was over money, not land, when he spoke to reporters Friday.

The House had originally asked for $22.47 million in funds to be transferred from USF Sarasota-Manatee to New College as part of the campus transfer pushed by DeSantis. That money was cut out of the state budget as closed-door negotiations officially ended Sunday night as the Legislature finishes its spending plan during a Special Session.

USF leaders also voiced concerns about transferring funds.

“We have been clear that the loss of any funds threatens our priority to protect our people, as they are necessary to pay for a teach-out so current USF Sarasota-Manatee students can finish their degrees on their home campus and for USF Sarasota-Manatee employees’ salaries on another USF campus,” former USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said in February.

A proposal to transfer the USF campus had been stripped out of a bill during a Senate Appropriations Committee in February in the Regular Session.