Public universities in Florida got some good news today, from an unlikely source: Gov. Charlie Crist.

After years of clashing with university leaders, often over tuition rates, the Republican governor proposed today to allow the state’s 11 public universities to gradually bring their tuition levels up to the national average.

With tuition levels that are among the lowest in the nation, Florida’s cash-strapped public universities have been slammed by recent state budget cuts. Campuses have also struggled with growing class sizes and faculty attrition.

Under Governor Crist’s plan, which would require approval by the state’s Legislature to take effect, university governing boards could increase tuition each year by up to 15 percent above the required base rate for in-state students.

For example, the University of Florida currently can charge in-state students only up to $3,788 per year. Under the proposal, the university could reach the national tuition average of $6,900 by approximately 2015. That would bring in about $21-million in new revenue, said Steve Orlando, a university spokesman, that could be used for more purposes than could money from previous tuition increases.

“This proposal allows us to allocate the money to faculty, advisers, or other academic functions where funding is needed,” he said in an e-mail message. —Paul Fain