Undocumented students will be barred from enrolling at Florida's public universities starting in the 2027-28 school year under a rule the state Board of Governors approved Thursday, Sept. 3.
The University of Miami, a private institution in Coral Gables, is not subject to the ban. But families in Miami-Dade County whose students attend or plan to attend public state schools like Florida International University could be directly affected.
Board Amends Admissions Rule in Unanimous Vote
The board voted unanimously at its meeting at Florida Gulf Coast University to amend Regulation 6.001, its general admissions rule, according to NBC 6 South Florida. The amended language bars anyone "who is present in the United States unlawfully" from initial enrollment at state universities that did not admit all academically qualified applicants in the two most recent academic years.
Faculty, Student Groups Opposed the Measure
The vote passed despite opposition from students, faculty and education unions who addressed the board, according to Telemundo 51. The United Faculty of Florida (UFF) and the Florida Education Association (FEA) estimate roughly 50,000 students across the state's combined college and university systems could be affected by immigration-related policy changes. The State University System does not separately track students' immigration status, so the number at the 12 universities alone is unknown.
About 8,000 students without legal status graduate from Florida high schools each year, according to a report from the President's Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration cited by the Tampa Bay Times.
Advocates Warn of Impact on Latino Families
Robert Cassanello, president of the UFF, said the board ignored public opposition. "The Board of Governors has lost sight of its responsibility to safeguard higher education for the common good," Cassanello said in a joint UFF-FEA statement, as reported by the Mainstreet Daily News.
Gustavo Rivera, director of the League of United Latin American Citizens Florida, said the policy "will disproportionately impact Latino students and immigrant families," according to the Tampa Bay Times.
State Officials Defend the Restriction
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins wrote on X after the vote, "Florida's public universities are for students who are here legally," NBC 6 reported. Gov. Ron DeSantis said in July that if a student is "here illegally," their spot should go to a "Florida resident."
Ban Follows Earlier Restrictions
The university ban is the latest in a series of restrictions. The Florida Board of Education barred undocumented students from the state's 24 public colleges and General Educational Development (GED) programs in June. Education Commissioner Henry Mack separately approved a rule blocking undocumented students from career and technical education programs that train workers in health care, agriculture, construction and other fields.
Republican lawmakers filed bills during the 2026 legislative session to ban undocumented students from all higher education institutions, but the measures died in committee. The board acted on its own authority instead.
Three Other States With Similar Bans
With the vote, Florida joins Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina as states restricting undocumented students' access to public higher education. The Board of Education is scheduled to discuss the career and technical education rule at its meeting Wednesday, Sept. 16, at Polk State College.
