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The Florida Board of Governors unanimously approved a change in admission rules on Thursday that could prohibit undocumented students from enrolling in the state’s public universities, according to reported by the Miami Herald.
If approved definitively, the measure would come into effect in the academic year 2027-28 and would impact the 12 universities of the Florida State University System, including Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University.
The proposal specifically targets institutions that, in the past two academic years, were unable to admit all academically qualified applicants due to a lack of space, faculty, or resources.
In practice, this encompasses all public universities in the state, as they all operate with selective admissions. Private universities, such as the University of Miami, are outside the scope of the regulation.
The process does not conclude with this vote. The proposal now enters a 14-day public comment period, and if there are no objections, it will return to the Board of Governors for a final vote in September.
The board also modified the original text to prevent the regulation from unintentionally affecting international students residing outside the United States who are enrolled in online programs at Florida universities.
"I don't believe the intention of this board is to prevent someone living abroad from accessing online programs," explained the board chairman, Alan Levine.
Undocumented students currently enrolled would not be affected by the change, as confirmed by Vice Chancellor Emily Sikes.
The governor Ron DeSantis supported the initiative one day before the vote.
"I fully support it. I believe what they are doing is right, and I think they are prioritizing the students in Florida who grow up here, attend our schools, and are residents of Florida," he stated during a press conference.
This action is part of a progressive escalation of educational restrictions in the state.
In February 2025, DeSantis signed law SB 2C, which eliminated in-state tuition for undocumented students —including DACA beneficiaries— at all public colleges and universities in the state, effective July 1, 2025.
That measure reversed a policy in effect since 2014 and affected approximately 6,500 students, whose tuition fees increased by up to 300%, leading some to abandon their studies.
Three legislative projects aimed at directly prohibiting the admission of undocumented individuals failed during the 2026 session, which led the Department of Education to pursue an administrative route.
In April of that year, Florida had already proposed to ban undocumented students from the 28 public colleges within the state system, such as Miami Dade College and Broward College.
If all the measures currently under consideration are approved, Florida would become the fourth state—alongside Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina—to restrict undocumented students' access to public higher education either totally or partially.
The same Board of Governors is set to vote this Monday, June 30, on whether undocumented students can enroll in institutions of the Florida College System and in Adult General Education programs.
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