Florida bans undocumented students from state-level colleges like PBSC
Florida officials have barred undocumented immigrant students from attending state-level colleges, which have historically operated in an open enrollment policy regardless of immigration status.
A 2026 study projected the move would cost Palm Beach State College about $1.1 million in tuition and tuition and fees. The three state-level colleges in South Florida stand to lose a combined $4 million, according to the study.
The Florida Board of Education on Tuesday, June 30, approved new rules that will require all 28 state-level colleges to verify that students either are U.S. citizens or have legal status and that they present "clear and convincing documentation" that they are eligible to enroll.
The 28 state-level colleges across Florida offer a wide variety of education and job-training programs. Schools such as Palm Beach State launch thousands of students each year into careers and the nation's middle class.
Historically, Florida colleges have operated with an "open-door" admissions policy, meaning any applicant with a high school diploma or GED is accepted, regardless of their past academic performance or citizenship status. It was not immediately clear if new rules would go into effect for the upcoming fall 2026 semester.
In 2025, the state had over 49,000 undocumented students in higher education, according to the HigherED Immigration Portal website. Every year, about 8,000 undocumented students graduate from Florida public high schools, with many of them choosing to continue their education at state-level collges.
Under the new rules, Florida state-level colleges are projected to lose more than $15 million in tuition and fees from undocumented students who will be barred from enrolling and continue attending them, according to a study by the Florida Policy Institute, a nonprofit based in Orlando.
Education and Immigration advocates say the new rules will lead to a drop in enrollment in state colleges, whose student count remains 11% below pre-pandemic levels, said Thomas Kennedy, a policy analyst for the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
"Denying these kids the opportunity to enroll is cruel to the students, harmful to the institutions who benefit from the revenue generated by their enrollment, and destructive to Florida's economy," Kennedy said.
The board also approved similar rules to ban undocumented students from taking part in dual-enrollment and other adult general education programs. Dual enrollment classes are hugely popular across Palm Beach County as an early step toward a college education.
The state legislature's Joint Administrative Procedures Committee submitted comments to the Board of Education in May, saying the package of new rules "appears to vest providers with unbridled discretion in making the citizenship determination."
The state board acted after the state Legislature failed to act during this year's session on a similar proposal, pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a proponent of President Donald Trump's call to enforce laws against undocumented immigrants.
The new rules come months after the state Legislature repealed a 2014 law granting in-state tuition to about 6,500 undocumented students who had attended Florida high schools. The move increased their tuition costs by three or four times.
Colleges in the state's most immigrant-filled counties feel the change the most. Valencia College in Orlando is projected to lose up to $7 million, followed by Miami-Dade College at $1.8 million and Broward College and Palm Beach State at $1.1 million apiece, according to the study.
Palm Beach State College would lose over 300 students, the Florida Policy Institute reported.
"Barring Dreamers from higher education will hurt all of Florida," the Florida Policy Institute said in a statement. "Colleges and universities will lose out on tuition and fees, and communities will lose out on future tax revenue and economic activity. Every Floridian - regardless of immigration status - deserves access to affordable higher education opportunities.
Valentina Palm covers immigration and West Palm Beach for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida bans undocumented students from state-level colleges like PBSC
Reporting by Valentina Palm, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 5:12 PM.