Students applying to Florida’s public colleges will have to show proof they are U.S. citizens or legally in the country if a proposed policy goes through.<\/p>\n
\nThe policy will require<\/a> applicants to “provide clear and convincing documentation that he or she is a citizen of the United States or lawfully present in the United States prior to being granted admission to the institution.”<\/p>\n \nAnother part of the rule allows state colleges to “deny admission or enrollment to an applicant because of misconduct if determined to be in the best interest of the Florida College System institution.”<\/p>\n \nThe Department of Education is proposing the change after state lawmakers failed<\/a> to pass similar restrictions<\/a> for public universities this past legislative session.<\/p>\n \nNor\u00edn Dollard is the senior policy analyst for the Florida Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. Dollard said without a law, the state could be overstepping.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Florida seeks to bar undocumented immigrants from state colleges<\/a><\/p>\n \n“Rule is not intended to create policy, a rule is intended to implement policy,” said Dollard.<\/p>\n \nShe cited Florida law<\/a> stating “an agency may adopt only rules that implement or interpret the specific powers and duties granted by the enabling statute.”<\/p>\n \nIf the policy goes into effect, the Florida Policy Institute estimates the Florida College System could lose about $15 million<\/a> in tuition revenue.<\/p>\n \nAt the same time, enrollment at public colleges<\/a> is still rebounding to pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n \n“It seems a strange choice that we’re going to turn down revenue when we are still not serving all the students that we could,” said Dollard.<\/p>\n \nThe state’s public colleges operate with open-door admissions<\/a>, meaning all applicants with a high school diploma or GED are accepted.<\/p>\n