Florida could soon close the doors of its public universities to undocumented students, as state education officials consider a sweeping admissions restriction that advocates say would devastate a population already squeezed by years of hostile policy changes.
The Florida Board of Governors’ Academic Affairs Committee is set to take up the proposal Wednesday. Agenda documents show a new provision added to the state’s general admissions regulation that would bar anyone not lawfully present in the United States from enrolling in any state university that, over the past two academic years, did not admit all academically qualified applicants. The restriction would take effect in the 2027-28 academic year.
The board oversees 12 universities across Florida, including the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida — both of which would likely fall under the rule’s scope. USF, for instance, describes itself on its own admissions page as “very competitive” and acknowledges that even students who meet its criteria are sometimes denied admission.
If approved, the proposal would move through a public comment period of 14 days before potentially receiving final board approval, possibly as early as September 2.
The measure represents the latest in a series of moves by Florida to make higher education increasingly out of reach for undocumented students, many of whom were brought to the state as children. In 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation eliminating in-state tuition for undocumented students — effectively closing off one of the few financial pathways available to a population ineligible for federal financial aid. Since that change, USF has raised out-of-state tuition twice, bringing the cost to at least $8,000 per semester, a 317 percent increase from what undocumented students previously paid. The new proposal would bar even those who can afford those costs from enrolling at all.
The timing is notable. Just one week after the Board of Governors meeting, the state Board of Education is scheduled to consider a separate rule that would prohibit undocumented immigrants from attending Florida’s public colleges — a move that would extend restrictions to institutions like Hillsborough College and St. Petersburg College.
The scale of the affected population is not insignificant. According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, an estimated 8,000 undocumented students graduate from Florida high schools each year. Paturi noted that if Florida proceeds, it would join four other states with similar restrictions — and could also face legal challenges from affected students.
An earlier attempt to restrict higher education access, Senate Bill 1052, failed in the state legislature this year. But the Board of Governors’ regulatory route, which bypasses the full legislative process, appears to be advancing where that bill could not.
