Florida could soon bar undocumented students from state colleges
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The Florida Board of Education will meet this month to decide whether to adopt a new rule prohibiting undocumented immigrants from attending the state's public colleges.
Why it matters: Tuition at state-level colleges is much more affordable than at universities, and with undocumented immigrants no longer eligible for in-state tuition, these colleges may be their only chance at higher education.
- An estimated 8,000 undocumented students graduate from the state's high schools each year, per the Higher Ed Immigration Portal.
Driving the news: The new rule aims to ensure that all students admitted to the Florida College System are citizens or lawfully present in the U.S.
- It would require applicants to attest to their legal status and provide supporting documentation before they are admitted.
- The rule would also saddle colleges with new operational demands, requiring them to develop procedures to verify applicants' legal status.
Between the lines: The State Board of Education is using administrative rulemaking to advance a policy goal that Republican lawmakers tried, but failed, to enact through legislation in 2025 and 2026.
- It would not be the first time state officials have used rulemaking to move major pieces of Gov. Ron DeSantis' agenda.
- The state Board of Medicine did the same in 2022, using rulemaking to ban gender-affirming care for minors after lawmakers twice declined to take up a bill to do so. Lawmakers later codified the restrictions in 2023.
The big picture: DeSantis signed a bill last year eliminating in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, closing off a key path to higher education for students who cannot receive federal financial aid or legally work.
- Since then, the University of South Florida has raised out-of-state tuition twice, meaning undocumented students would now have to pay at least $8,000 per semester, a 317% increase from what they had been paying.
- Even at out-of-state tuition rates, Hillsborough College and St. Petersburg College remain cheaper alternatives, costing about $5,000 per semester. If the rule passes, that option would no longer be available.
Zoom out: The rule wouldn't only cost undocumented students; a report by the Florida Policy Institute shows that the state college system could lose about $15 million each year in tuition and fees.
- St. Petersburg College alone could lose more than half a million dollars annually, according to the report.
What's next: The state Board of Education is expected to consider the new rule on June 30.