The University of North Florida received more than $31.3 million in performance-based funding for July 2026 after improving its statewide performance score for the second consecutive year.

UNF earned 86 out of 100 possible points in the Florida Board of Governors’ 2026 Performance-Based Funding Model, one point below the average for Florida’s public universities, according to the Florida Board of Governors 2026 Performance-Based Funding Metric Scores and Allocations report. The university’s score increased from 81 in 2025 and 76 in 2024.

The funding system measures public universities using student achievement, affordability, graduation, employment and other outcomes. Universities can receive or lose access to portions of their state funding depending on their scores and whether they improve from previous years, according to the metrics and allocations report.

UNF made significant gains across several performance-based funding metrics, contributing to the increase in its total score, according to a university spokesperson.

The percentage of bachelor’s degree recipients who were employed and earning at least $40,000 or enrolled in continuing education increased by 1.9 percentage points, earning the university eight excellence points, which is one more than last year. 

UNF’s four-year graduation rate for full-time, first-time-in-college students increased by 3.8 percentage points, resulting in seven improvement points, four more than last year. 

The percentage of students receiving Pell Grants also increased by 4.9 percentage points, earning UNF nine improvement points, which is two more than last year, according to the spokesperson.

“Last year, UNF realized the largest percentage increase in the performance-based funding metrics established by the Florida State University System Board of Governors in its 13-year history,” said UNF Interim President Dr. Angela Garcia Falconetti. “The continued improvement in graduation rates, student access and career outcomes demonstrates UNF’s commitment to delivering an exceptional education and preparing graduates for lifelong success.”

Florida’s performance funding system

State lawmakers established the State University System Performance-Based Incentive in Florida law in 2015, according to the metrics and allocations report.

The system is intended to align university performance with statewide goals, reward excellence and improvement and recognize differences among universities, according to BOG Regulation 5.001.

Under this model, each university is evaluated across 10 categories. The measures include the percentage of bachelor’s degree recipients who are employed or continuing their education one year after graduation, graduates’ median wages, tuition and fees, four-year graduation rates and second-year student retention, according to the metrics and allocations report.

Other measures include degrees awarded in areas the state considers strategically important, the percentage of undergraduate students receiving Pell Grants, graduation rates for Pell Grant recipients and Florida College System transfer students, and a metric selected by each university’s board of trustees, according to the metrics and allocations report.

UNF’s university-selected metric measures the percentage of undergraduate full-time equivalent enrollment in online courses, according to the metrics and allocations report.

How funding is allocated

The performance funding available to universities consists of two components: a state investment appropriated by the Legislature and an institutional investment taken from each university’s existing base funding, according to the metrics and allocations report.

The amount withheld from each university for the institutional investment is based on its share of recurring state funding within the State University System. Universities must meet minimum performance requirements to have that money restored, according to the metrics and allocations report.

A university must earn at least 51 points to qualify for the return of its institutional investment. Schools that fall below that threshold must submit an improvement plan identifying strategies for raising their performance, according to the metrics and allocations report.

The BOG monitors the university’s progress before releasing the withheld money. A university making satisfactory progress may receive up to half of its institutional investment in January and the remaining balance in June, according to the metrics and allocations report.

Universities are also evaluated for eligibility to receive their proportional shares of the state investment. The three highest-scoring institutions receive their full proportional allocations. Universities that earn the same score or a higher score than the previous year also qualify for their full shares, according to the metrics and allocations report.

Florida International University, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida were the three highest-scoring institutions in 2026, according to the metrics and allocations report.

Universities placed on watch list

A university whose score declines for two consecutive years must submit a student success plan to qualify for its proportional share of the state investment. The plan must describe the activities and strategies the university will use to improve its performance, according to the metrics and allocations report.

No Florida university met that condition in 2026, according to the metrics and allocations report.

Florida A&M University and New College of Florida were placed on the watch list because their scores declined from the previous year. If either institution’s score drops again next year, it will be required to submit a student success plan, according to the metrics and allocations report.

Universities required to complete a student success plan do not immediately lose their full allocations. The BOG holds the money until the plan is presented for approval, generally at an August or September meeting, according to BOG Regulation 5.001.

If the board approves the plan, a university may receive up to 50% of its state investment allocation. The board then reviews a monitoring report in March and can release the remaining balance if the university is making satisfactory progress, according to the BOG regulation.

If a university fails to make satisfactory progress, some or all of the withheld funding may be redistributed to the top three scoring institutions. The redistribution is based on the number of points earned by the eligible top-scoring universities, according to the BOG regulation.

Performance funding’s role in university budgets

Although performance metrics influence millions of dollars in university funding, the model does not determine every portion of a university’s budget. 

Public universities also receive base appropriations, project-specific legislative funding, tuition revenue, grants and money from auxiliary operations, according to State Higher Education Finance.

For UNF, the 2026 results mean the university remained eligible for its full proportional share of performance funding while continuing a two-year increase in its statewide score, according to the metrics and allocations report.

—

For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email protected].