By Staff Report
Undocumented immigrants would be barred from admission to state colleges under a proposed rule by the Florida Department of Education.
The rule would also give schools discretion to consider students’ past misconduct when making admission decisions.
Under the proposal, each board of trustees in the Florida College System would be required to “ensure that all students admitted to the Florida College System institution are citizens of the United States or lawfully present in the United States.”
Students would have to provide “clear and convincing documentation” that they are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country before being admitted.
The rule states the documentation must be “credible, precise and compelling.”
A hearing on the proposal is scheduled for May 14 at Miami Dade College.
The rule would apply only to Florida’s 28 state colleges, not the state’s 12 public universities.
An email seeking comment from the Department of Education was not immediately returned Thursday.
Another part of the proposal would allow state colleges to deny admission or enrollment based on an applicant’s misconduct if it is determined to be in the best interest of the institution.
The move comes after some Republican lawmakers sought to limit the number of non-U.S. students at public higher-education institutions, including those legally in the country.
A sweeping House bill (HB 1279), sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Kincart-Johnson, R-Lakeland, initially included a provision capping undergraduate admissions for non-Florida residents at 5 percent when it passed the House. The Senate later removed that provision before sending the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Another proposal (SB 1052), sponsored by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, would have barred all higher-education institutions from admitting non-citizens who are not legally present in the country, but it was never heard in committee this year.
A separate measure (HB 721), filed by Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Seminole, would have required schools to limit the percentage of enrolled students who are foreign citizens and not permanent U.S. residents. That bill received one hearing but did not reach the House floor.
Florida has already passed legislation repealing in-state tuition rates for about 6,500 immigrant students who were brought to the country illegally as children.
Additionally, a law signed last month allows the state to designate groups as “domestic terrorist organizations” and includes a provision for expelling university students who promote support for such groups.
Students could face expulsion if their actions are “reasonably interpreted” as threats of violence, disruptions to the learning environment, infringements on others’ rights or material support or recruitment for such organizations.
AMBER PATINO 
Ali Moreland