TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Florida's public universities are being swamped by college students who need counseling.
The Tampa Bay Times reported Sunday that students are waiting up to a month for appointments at short-staffed counseling centers.
Ten of Florida's 12 state universities fail to meet recommended staffing levels for counselors.
In Florida, over a six-year period, student counseling clients have jumped nearly 50 percent.
University of South Florida psychology professor Jonathan Rottenberg told the newspaper that if nothing is done "we're going to have something of a lost generation."
The Florida Legislature last year rejected a request to provide more mental health money for universities. This year the state university system is asking for $14.5 million to hire 137 new staffers for counseling centers.
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