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The Florida Board of Governors approved an admissions policy change Thursday that bans illegal immigrants from enrolling in the state’s public universities, starting next year.
WESH reports the measure only applies to new applicants and “does not appear to affect undocumented students who are currently enrolled.”
“Beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, a person who is present in the United States unlawfully shall not be eligible for initial enrollment in any state university which, for the two most recent academic years, did not admit all academically qualified applicants, except for cases in which applicants were rejected for nonacademic reasons,” the regulation states.
The vote follows a similar measure that the state Board of Education passed in July banning illegal immigrants from enrolling in Florida’s public colleges, The College Fix previously reported.
“Florida taxpayers should not be expected to subsidize opportunities for people who broke our laws to come here,” Lt. Gov. Jay Collins wrote Thursday on X.
However, others showed up at the meeting Thursday to oppose the ban.
Among them was Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar who told the board that the ban would affect thousands of students who grow up and graduate from Florida’s public schools, Gulf Coast News Now reports.
“Let’s not forget that higher education in this country is sought after by people all over the world, right? That our universities, our colleges in this country are phenomenal institutions that have made America a leader in the world,” Spar said.
Approximately 8,000 students who are in the country illegally graduate from Florida high schools annually, according to Spar’s organization.
In recent years, Florida Republican leaders have been cracking down on illegal immigration and promoting America first, including by revoking a provision that had allowed illegal immigrants to qualify for lower in-state tuition price, The Fix reported.
Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis also urged higher education institutions to prioritize American job seekers in their hiring practices, The Fix reported.
Florida is not alone in these actions. Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina have similar admissions policies in place for illegal immigrants at some or all of their public higher education institutions, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
MORE: Florida proposes rule requiring proof of citizenship for public college admission
