MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade College has plans to ask county voters to pass a half-cent sales-tax increase to help shore up the college’s finances, according to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald.

The Florida Legislature has twice prevented Miami-Dade College from even asking the county for a vote on extra money. State lawmakers are planning on taking up the issue a third time in the new legislative session, according to the Herald.

If the legislature and county voters both approved the sales tax increase, the sales tax in Miami-Dade County would be raised to 7.5 cents and that would provide the college with up to $185 million a year in additional funding, according to the Herald.

The Herald reported the school has lost one-quarter of its per-student funding since the 2007-2008 school year and that repairs, renovations, and new buildings are needed on multiple campuses of Miami-Dade College.

Miami-Dade College has a student body of more than 174,000.