The Legislature also voted Monday to strip USF-Sarasota Manatee of its accreditation, which is not independent status. Currently, USF Sarasota-Manatee and USF St. Petersburg are considered independent universities for academic purposes. The glaring issue at this point is the two universities would not be part of a huge pot of funding that is set to land in the USF system. GOP leaders have made it clear that the two universities should not be able to benefit financially with the main USF campus in Tampa.
