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Citing increasing numbers of minorities in Florida's community colleges and universities, Gov. Jeb Bush said racial preferences are unnecessary in the state university system. Bush and state education officials announced Florida's universities are enrolling more students than ever before, including record numbers of minority students. Of the students in Florida's state university system, 35 percent are minorities, up from 34.5 percent at the same time last year, and up from 32.2 percent in 1998. "Racial preferences are not necessary to achieve diversity in our state university system," said Governor Bush. "I commend our universities for finding new and better ways to recruit the best and the brightest from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds." With 14.5 percent of total enrollments African American students comprise about the same percentage of all state university students as they did last year (14.4 percent) while Hispanic enrollments are up half a percent to 15.5 percent. Asian American enrollment at 4.5 percent and Native American enrollment at 0.4 percent are about the same as last year. [more

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