Photo by Makenna Wozniak | The Crow’s Nest
By Jasmin Parrado
International students who are recipients of the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) scholarship at the University of South Florida have had their scholarships and tuition aid revoked weeks into the fall semester, according to reports The Crow’s Nest received about five impacted students.
Additionally, The Crow’s Nest received a written tip that, while a Tampa student was able to keep their scholarship, those at USF St. Petersburg were not.
“No one will tell us why we didn’t keep our scholarship,” the note said.
The cancellations began after the State University System of Florida Board of Governors (BOG) released a public notice of intent on Sept. 11 to repeal Regulation 7.007, which outlined eligibility requirements for the LAC scholarship. Students from 50 Latin American and Caribbean Countries, including Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Mexico, were eligible for the scholarship.
When in effect, the scholarship designated Florida residency to qualified students and $500 per semester for tuition purposes.
“There’s definitely an attack toward immigrants, regardless of whether they’re legal or illegal,” a USF student, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Crow’s Nest.
The student received an email in September announcing that her LAC scholarship funds may be revoked in spring of 2026 due to an anticipatory decision by the Board of Governors about the proposal.
The student also said that her friend, a LAC scholar of a different nationality, received an email stating their scholarship was revoked as of this fall.
“[USF] used to be very open about how many international students they had and how you, as an international student, would feel comfortable on their campus because of how diverse it is,” the student said. “It’s just interesting how they tell you all of this so you can apply and pay for the tuition and study here. And then, so easily, they just change things.”
The notice came around two weeks before tuition deferment, which was highly stressful, the student recalled.
With no international student advisor stationed at USF St. Petersburg and only seven walk-in days at LPH 320 this fall for international student support, the student emphasized that the university’s outreach and communication efforts are especially important during this time.
“As a state university, USF follows all state laws and BOG regulations, policies and guidance,” a USF spokesperson said in a statement to The Crow’s Nest. “The university will share updates as needed with any impacted students and will continue to work with all students to make them aware of scholarship and financial aid opportunities that may be available.”
USF is not the only Florida university that has stopped offering the LAC scholarship.
Among the other 11 institutions under the state university system, students at The University of Central Florida and The University of Florida reported losing their LAC funds as far back as April, months before the repeal proposal.
During the BOG meeting on Sept. 11, Lynn Nelson, associate vice chancellor of Academic Affairs and Innovation, provided one explanation for the board’s proposed repeal: compliance with federal law. Nelson did not specify which federal law.
The State University System of Florida told The Crow’s Nest that the proposed repeal is still undergoing the regulation development procedure, and future developments will be discussed in upcoming BOG meetings.
The next BOG meeting will be held on Nov. 5 at USF Tampa.
Broader federal developments came months before the proposal, such as President Donald Trump’s administration cutting grants for colleges with a large minority student presence.
Additionally, the U.S. State Department revoked more than 6,000 international student visas in August, citing violations of the law and “support for terrorism” among reasons for cancelling visas.
Another international student at USF who chose to remain anonymous told The Crow’s Nest that he is aware that USF informs international students of broader changes like the BOG’s proposals and decisions, but it could benefit from more communication between departments.
Additionally, the best thing the university could have done in light of the U.S.’s recent “immigrant-antagonizing policies” was stand its ground, he said.
The student wishes that USF’s campus police didn’t agree to a partnership with ICE in April – but he is aware of the university’s limitations.
“This is a public university, and it is connected to the governor’s office – and the governor is very lenient on whatever Washington is doing,” he said. “It’s really hard because I wish it could do more, but I also know it’s hard for them to do so.”
Months after the agreement, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) posted images on its Instagram story of U.S. Border Patrol vehicles they spotted at USF Tampa’s Crescent Hill parking garage and the Marshall Student Center during a career fair on Oct. 22.
SMS claimed it was informed that Border Patrol was invited to USF for the career fair.
Though state and federal agendas have impacted international students, the student believes that international students will be able to endure the changes.
“I can speak for my Latin American community,” the student said. “We have seen these things before. We know these patterns and we’ve called them out. So, that sadly means we know how to survive them.”
But survival happens either through silence or by leaving the country for safety, the student said. He believes those outcomes will harm the United States, as the country will lose “brilliant minds who’ve been promised this land as a land of opportunity and freedom.”
Despite the current sociopolitical climate affecting higher education, the student encourages international peers to pursue their education.
“No matter what happens, we will move forward,” he said. “We’re brilliant, we’re witty and there’s a warmth to us that the entire planet needs.”
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Written by: Jasmin Parrado on October 22, 2025.
Last revised by: Alisha Durosier
