Running a high-profile campaign means that you tout your accomplishments while in elected office while, at the same time, showing why the other candidates in the race are not as good a choice as you are.

For former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R), that strategy includes Bush talking about his time in the Sunshine State's highest office.  One of Bush's campaign issues has been education, and he's told voters how he turned around education here in Florida.  Those campaign claims aren't without opposition, though.

According to the Florida Democratic Party, Bush's record on education doesn't get as much of a passing grade as the former governor would like to think.  In a press release, the Florida Democratic party says that Jeb Bush "oversaw (an) average in-state tuition increase of 48.2 percent during his tenure."

Our partners at PolitiFact Florida took a look at the FDP claim to see if it was accurate.  PolitiFact reporter Joshua Gillin says that their claim rates MOSTLY TRUE on the Truth-O-meter.  Gillin says that the FDP, for the most part, has their numbers in order.

"We took a look at the numbers and found that tuition rose even more than 48.2 percent under Jeb Bush," said Gillin.  "The number is actually closer to 57 percent.  The Florida Democratic Party had a slight problem with the way that they calculated their numbers.  Regardless, tuition went up from about $47 per credit hour to just over $73 per credit hour during Gov. Jeb Bush's two terms."

Gillin notes that Florida was actually lower than the national average during that time frame.  "According to some estimates, tuition went up around 75 percent in that same period, so Florida was still a fairly inexpensive state to attend college in," said Gillin.  "So, is 48 percent considered a lot?  That depends on your point of view, especially if you're the one writing out a tuition check."

Gillin also said that there are differences to note between fiscal years and political terms, as well as the exact powers the governor actually has.  "You have to keep in mind that political office terms and fiscal years rarely line up," said Gillin.  "That's the case here, and it's difficult to say what may or may not have happened in those three or four months on each end of the spectrum.  Basically, it boils down to being an estimate rather than a hard number."

Gillin said that the Florida Democratic Party quoted the stats correctly, but a few details could have used clarification, which leads to the claim receiving a MOSTLY TRUE rating on PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter.

SOURCES: Tuition hike under Gov. Jeb Bush?