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Fort Myers, FL - Florida education officials have approved admissions restrictions preventing undocumented students from initially enrolling at public universities beginning in 2027.
The Florida Board of Governors unanimously approved an amendment Thursday to Regulation 6.001, which sets admissions standards for the State University System.
Beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year, a person present in the United States unlawfully will be ineligible for initial enrollment at any state university that did not admit every academically qualified applicant during the two most recent academic years.
Applicants rejected for nonacademic reasons are excluded from that calculation.
The restriction targets selective universities that receive more qualified applicants than they can accommodate.
Florida’s State University System includes 12 institutions, including the University of Florida, Florida State University, Florida International University, the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida.
Because the regulation applies to initial enrollment, it will not remove students already attending a state university.
International students with valid visas or another lawful immigration status are not classified as undocumented under the policy.
Board members advanced the amendment June 25th and opened it for public comment.
Meeting records show comments were received, but officials made no changes before approving the measure as part of Thursday’s consent agenda.
Supporters, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, said Florida universities should prioritize applicants legally present in the country.
Opponents argued that immigration status should not prevent academically qualified students from attending public universities.
The decision follows Florida’s repeal of an in-state tuition waiver for certain undocumented students and separate regulations requiring students at the state’s 28 public colleges to verify U.S. citizenship or lawful presence before admission.