![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773447548_269_Florida_Legislation_Session_2026_MJO.jpg\" "\\"A")
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A view of the Florida Capitol before the start of the legislative session on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Tallahassee, Fla.<\/p>\n
Photo by Matias J. Ocner<\/p>\n
mocner@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
Tallahassee<\/p>\n
A Florida Department of Education proposal would prohibit immigrants who are in the country illegally from enrolling in the state\u2019s public colleges and give institutions more latitude to consider applicants\u2019 disciplinary histories \u2014 an administrative move that follows a series of unsuccessful legislative efforts to restrict non-citizen enrollment.<\/p>\n
The measure<\/a>, set for a public hearing May 14 at Miami Dade College, would require boards of trustees across the Florida College System to verify that every admitted student is either a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the country. Applicants would need to submit \u201cclear and convincing\u201d documentation proving their status before being approved.<\/p>\n That proof would have to meet a high evidentiary threshold: documentation that is \u201ccredible, precise, and compelling,\u201d according to the proposal.<\/p>\n The rule would also explicitly allow colleges to factor in applicants\u2019 past misconduct, potentially expanding how schools evaluate prospective students beyond academic performance.<\/p>\n The proposed rule would apply to all 28 state colleges \u2014 including MDC and Broward College \u2014 but not to Florida\u2019s 12 public universities, such as the University of Florida and Florida International University, which are governed by a separate board.<\/p>\n If adopted, the measure could significantly narrow access to the state college system for students without legal immigration status, though it remains unclear how many would be affected.<\/p>\n The Department of Education did not respond for comment.<\/p>\n Florida has already taken steps to tighten policies affecting immigrant students and campus conduct. Lawmakers last year repealed in-state tuition<\/a> eligibility for about 6,500 students brought to the U.S. as children without legal status, causing their annual tuition fees to spike by up to 300% and leading some affected students to drop out.<\/p>\n Republican lawmakers attempted multiple times this past legislative session to impose similar restrictions on college admissions for undocumented and non-Florida residents.<\/p>\n State Rep. Jennifer Kincart-Johnson, a Lakeland Republican, sponsored a bill that at one point included a 5% cap on non-resident undergraduate admissions<\/a>, though the provision was stripped out by the Senate before the measure reached the governor\u2019s desk. Another bill carried by State Rep. Berny Jacques, a Seminole Republican, sought to limit enrollment of foreign citizens and non-permanent residents<\/a> but never reached the House floor.<\/p>\n