A bill expected to receive a vote this legislative session, would ban undocumented students from attending most Florida public universities and colleges.
That follows the Florida legislature stripping undocumented students of in-state tuition, last month.
From undocumented to paralegal
Evelyn Rivera was just three years old when she and her parents arrived in Florida from Colombia.
“My sisters were actually born here in the US. So they are U.S. citizens. And I grew up here since I was three years old in the state of Florida, so I've been here for over 30 years now,” said Rivera.
Rivera says Florida is the only home she’s known.
She is now a paralegal, a wife, a mom of three, and a college graduate. She also grew up undocumented.
Still, she says it wasn’t even a question in her mind that she would go to a Florida university. When it came time, she chose Seminole State College. Her associate degree was the first step on her path to becoming a paralegal.
“It's been a door to opportunities. And I think the big thing back then was knowing that I was getting a degree, I was on a pathway to get an education,” said Rivera.
But Rivera is concerned that other students who are in a similar position now, may not be able to achieve the same.
A bill is filed to ban undocumented students from some Florida universities, colleges
Republican State Senator Randy Fine has filed a bill that would ban undocumented students from going to most Florida universities. A companion bill has been filed by Chase Tramont in the Florida House.
“So today, I've filed SB 244, which would add to the no-end state tuition for illegal immigrants, a requirement that says at Florida's highly competitive colleges and universities, aka those that cannot serve everyone who wishes to go to them, they no longer can accept illegal immigrants to attend at all,” said Fine.
Both bills would ban undocumented students from attending most Florida public universities and colleges.
The bills would apply to all undocumented students including Dreamers, and it would ban these students from attending competitive schools like Seminole State College, the same one Rivera attended.
WATCH: Senator Randy Fine introduces the bill.
Live q&a on new illegal immigration bill https://t.co/LKVl70vE77
— Senator Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) January 14, 2025
Competitive schools accept less than 85% of applicants, according to the language of both bills.
Along with Seminole State College, undocumented students wouldn’t be able to attend the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, Florida A&M University, Florida International University, and Florida State University to name a few.
Fine says he filed the legislation because undocumented students are taking seats away from American citizens, something some experts are pushing back on, citing the state’s declining enrollment rates.
Earlier this month, the Florida legislature voted to discontinue in-state tuition vouchers for undocumented people, after the governor asked them to remove any “incentives” to illegal immigration in Florida. The policy had been in place since 2014.
Experts warn making it harder for any students to go to college will hurt Florida
Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida has read Fine’s bill. He says it has the potential of changing his university in some big ways.
UCF has been named one of only a handful of Hispanic Serving Institutions by the U.S. Department of Education, a distinction given to colleges and universities where at least a quarter of the students enrolled are Hispanic or Latino.
Jewett said most of these students aren’t undocumented, but some are.
“I can say firsthand that we have had some terrific students who have gone on to do, you know, some really great things in the state that were undocumented when they were here, because their parents brought them here as a young kid, and that's all they knew. They only knew life in America. And I do worry, not just for them, they've already graduated, but I do worry about cutting off the opportunities for future students in the same situation,” said Jewett.
Jewett said making it harder on these students to attend college, doesn’t just hurt them, and their families, but it will hurt the state.
“And wouldn't it be better for us as a society if we allowed people to fulfill their potential and get an education and be able to work better-paying jobs and to be able to contribute more to society instead of potentially having low-paying jobs, needing to be on welfare, needing to be on the SNAP program, needing to be on Medicaid, etc.,” asked Jewett.
WATCH: Governor Ron DeSantis talks about enforcing Florida's new immigration law
Gaby Pacheco says undocumented students have made the state better.
Pacheco works for TheDream.US which helps undocumented people get college scholarships. She says many of her students are going into healthcare and teaching, fields that are experiencing shortages in Florida.
She’s most concerned that if Senator Fine’s bill becomes law, undocumented young people won’t leave Florida, they’ll drop out of high school, as they won't have an accessible, affordable way to go to college.
“We know 16- and 17-year-olds how they are right? And they don't necessarily see the bigger picture of even how important a high school degree is, they're just going to say, 'I'm just going to go to work', right? And 'why should I dream and why should I have hopes for a better future',” asked Pacheco.
Advocates hold out hope for undocumented students in Florida
Evelyn Rivera says she hopes students will still keep trying to find programs that accept them like she says she would have.
Rivera said higher education was something that was so important to her family from day one. She said it’s a part of their culture.
“It's something that was always ingrained in me and my sisters, education and the importance of that, and so I think it would be very difficult. I don't think I would move out of state, because Florida really has been my home for so many years. So, I think I would just have to keep finding ways, finding a school, a program, that would let me at least take one class at a time,” said Rivera.
Rivera said there’s also nonprofits and other advocacy groups that can help with the process.
“If this matters to you, if you really want to study and get that education, find a way to do it. Find other people that have done it. Ask them how they were able to accomplish it. Find organizations throughout the state that can support you in this process,” said Rivera.
Supporters of Fine’s bill say undocumented students could still attend a handful of less competitive schools in Central Florida, albeit at out-of-state rates which can be four times higher.
Fine’s bill will be taken up at the March session of the legislature.
Read the full bill here:
Copyright 2025 Central Florida Public Media
