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3d ago

Florida Board Bars Undocumented Students From State Colleges

Requiring documentation for admissions to state colleges and GED programs, the rule raises legal questions about the board’s authority.

The Florida Board of Education voted Tuesday to require students enrolling at any Florida College System institution to prove they are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country, approving a rule that bars undocumented students from attending the state's 28 public colleges. (WPEC)
The Florida Board of Education voted Tuesday to require students enrolling at any Florida College System institution to prove they are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country, approving a rule that bars undocumented students from attending the state's 28 public colleges. (WPEC)
The Florida Board of Education voted Tuesday to require students enrolling at any Florida College System institution to prove they are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country, approving a rule that bars undocumented students from attending the state's 28 public colleges. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Florida Board of Education voted Tuesday to require students enrolling at any Florida College System institution to prove they are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country, approving a rule that bars undocumented students from attending the state's 28 public colleges. (IRSC)

Overview

  • The Florida State Board of Education, which voted Tuesday, approved rules that force applicants to attest to U.S. citizenship or lawful presence and to provide documentation before enrolling at the state’s 28 public colleges.
  • The board also approved a separate requirement that most adult general education programs, including GED preparation, verify a student’s citizenship or lawful presence before enrollment.
  • The measures passed nearly unanimously during a telephone-only meeting with wide public opposition and a single dissent from board member Daniel Foganholi.
  • The Legislature’s Joint Administrative Procedures Committee sent a June 26 letter questioning whether the board has statutory authority to impose these admissions requirements while the State University System’s Board of Governors considers a similar restriction for universities.
  • Analysts estimate the policy could cost Florida colleges more than $15 million a year in lost tuition and fees and would leave thousands of undocumented students who finish Florida high schools without clear paths to college or GED completion while formal rulemaking and legal challenges play out.