TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State University System Board of Governors voted unanimously on Thursday to prohibit individuals present in the United States unlawfully from attending any of the state’s 12 public universities. According to the newly approved rule, eligibility for enrollment will be denied starting with the 2027-2028 academic year. This decision represents a significant shift in higher education policy within Florida and marks the latest action by two key policymaking bodies controlling the state's public educational institutions.
Legislative Context and Board Actions
The move comes as part of a broader series of rules related to illegal immigration created by both the State University System’s Board of Governors (BOG) and the Florida Board of Education. The BOG's decision closely follows a similar action taken in June, where the Florida Board of Education barred undocumented students from attending the state’s 24 public colleges and General Educational Development programs. Most recently, Education Commissioner Henry Mack approved a rule blocking undocumented students from accessing postsecondary career and technical education programs.
These technical programs are designed to train students for various industries, including agriculture, healthcare, energy, transportation, tourism, and construction. The new rule regarding these vocational programs is scheduled for discussion at an upcoming Board of Education meeting on September 16 at Polk State College. This coordinated approach suggests a unified strategy across different levels of Florida's public education system to restrict access based on immigration status.
Political Reactions and Historical Background
Following the vote, Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins described the rule as "common sense" in a post on social media platform X. A former state senator appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in August 2025, Collins stated that Florida’s public universities are intended for students who are legally present and argued that taxpayers should not subsidize opportunities for those who broke laws to enter the country, a story we covered in Florida Education Commissioner Blocks Undocumented Students From CTE Programs in.
While Republican lawmakers have attempted multiple times during legislative sessions to restrict higher education access for undocumented immigrants through bills, many such measures failed to advance beyond committee. However, this administrative action by the BOG achieves similar goals without requiring new legislation from the state legislature. The State University System does not currently track students who are not lawfully present in the U.S., making enforcement of this ban reliant on self-reporting or other verification methods.
This policy also serves to repeal a 2014 law that offered qualified undocumented immigrants entering universities in-state tuition rates. That earlier law was originally sponsored by Jeanette Nuñez, who served as Florida's first lieutenant governor under DeSantis when she was a state House member. The reversal of this provision marks a distinct change from previous administrative stances on higher education access for non-citizens.
