TALLAHASSEE --- A proposal to further limit the amount of out-of-state and international students at some Florida universities continued to advance in the House on Tuesday.
The House Budget Committee approved a proposal (HB 1279) by Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson, R-Lakeland, that would require preeminent state universities to reserve 95 percent of new fall enrollments to students from Florida. The current limit is 90 percent for all universities.
Jonsson said for the state’s preeminent schools, the reduction of out-of-state students paying higher tuition than Florida students would account for about a $54 million cut from a budget of around $17.5 billion.
Schools should be able to “find a way to work that out,” Jonsson said.
“We are giving these universities a lot of money, our Florida taxpayers are giving a lot to grow these institutions, make them the best in the country,” Jonsson said. “We need to make sure that we’re taking care of our Florida students first.”
The University of Florida, Florida State University, University of South Florida, and Florida International University are designated as preeminent state research universities. The University of Central Florida is expected to be certified by the Board of Governors as a preeminent state research university later this year.
Rep. Demi Busatta, R-Coral Gables, said the proposal is about who the state should be “subsidizing” in the university system.
Letitia Harmon, senior director of policy and research for Florida Rising, a progressive advocacy group, said the proposal will hurt students and harm the state financially.
“We will not be able to take advantage of the students who will like to study here with us and then benefit Florida’s workforce pipeline,” Harmon said.
Enrollment at Florida public universities currently has a 10-percent cap on out-of-state undergraduate enrollment.
Under the bill, schools that fail to maintain the 95 percent average starting in 2030 would be ineligible for preeminent funding.
The bill also restricts non-U.S. citizen enrollment to no more than 5 percent from any one country at each state university.
Last year, the trustees for the University of Florida and Florida State University were quick to increase costs for out-of-state students by 10 percent after the state university system’s Board of Governors agreed to allow its schools to increase student fees on those who aren’t from Florida.
Jonsson’s proposal next goes to the House Education & Employment Committee.
With the 2026 legislative session at its scheduled mid-point on Wednesday, a Senate version of the bill (SB 1052) has yet to appear before a committee.
