Cutting in-state tuition for Dreamers could hurt Florida colleges, says think tank
By Danielle Prieur
February 3, 2025 at 4:42 PM EST
A new report out of the Florida Policy Institute finds the cost to overturn in-state tuition for undocumented students in the state could be steep.
Legislation introduced during last week’s special session, and a separate bill filed by Republican State Senator Randy Fine, would ban in-state tuition for undocumented students if passed.
Undocumented students are ineligible for most types of financial aid for college, including federal and state scholarships and grants, which is why so many rely on these waivers for in-state tuition.
Progressive think tank Florida Policy Institute found Florida universities stand to lose almost $15 million dollars in tuition and fees if these students can no longer afford to go to school in Florida.
“Valencia College in Central Florida: it would be greatly affected,” said Florida Policy Institute’s Chief Strategy and Development Officer Holly Bullard. “So you could see a drop in extra revenue that they use to provide services for students, whether it is programs or being able to have extra support for many different types of students.”
A table showing the financial impact of rolling back tuition for undocumented students on Florida higher ed. Courtesy, Florida Policy Institute. (1339x682, AR: 1.9633431085043989)
But when it comes to the economic impact of repealing these waivers, she said the lost revenue for Florida schools would be just the tip of the iceberg.
“Because when you think of all of these students who are now not going to be pursuing education, and having higher education leads to better jobs and better income, which would lead to better community engagement and the ripple effect in our economies right, all of that will be lost as well,” said Bullard.
Enrollment in Florida colleges last year increased slightly year-over-year, but was still down by 11% compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
The bipartisan-backed provision that allows undocumented students to get in-state tuition has been in place since 2014. More than 63,000 Dreamers have gone to college on waivers in Florida over the past decade. Last year, over 6,500 students utilizing these waivers paid $26.7 million in tuition at state colleges and universities.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who supports rolling back in-state tuition for undocumented students, said he wants to take away any incentives families have for coming to the state of Florida illegally, including cheaper tuition.
Republican State Senator Randy Fine, who filed a bill that would not only take away in-state tuition from these students but also ban them from most Florida public universities and colleges, said they are taking spots from Floridians at the state’s top colleges.
A table showing the bulk of Dreamers on waivers attend community colleges. Courtesy of the Florida Policy Institute. (1468x712, AR: 2.061797752808989)
At a press conference on Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis promised news soon about a compromise with the Florida legislature on immigration reform in the state.
Last week, DeSantis said he would veto a bill that the legislature passed which says state immigration enforcement would fall under the office of Agriculture Commissioner, sets aside $500 million to hire more law enforcement, and repeals a law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition.
He called the bill “weak” as he said it lacked stronger penalties for not enforcing the law.
Legislation introduced during last week’s special session, and a separate bill filed by Republican State Senator Randy Fine, would ban in-state tuition for undocumented students if passed.
Undocumented students are ineligible for most types of financial aid for college, including federal and state scholarships and grants, which is why so many rely on these waivers for in-state tuition.
Progressive think tank Florida Policy Institute found Florida universities stand to lose almost $15 million dollars in tuition and fees if these students can no longer afford to go to school in Florida.
“Valencia College in Central Florida: it would be greatly affected,” said Florida Policy Institute’s Chief Strategy and Development Officer Holly Bullard. “So you could see a drop in extra revenue that they use to provide services for students, whether it is programs or being able to have extra support for many different types of students.”
A table showing the financial impact of rolling back tuition for undocumented students on Florida higher ed. Courtesy, Florida Policy Institute. (1339x682, AR: 1.9633431085043989)
But when it comes to the economic impact of repealing these waivers, she said the lost revenue for Florida schools would be just the tip of the iceberg.
“Because when you think of all of these students who are now not going to be pursuing education, and having higher education leads to better jobs and better income, which would lead to better community engagement and the ripple effect in our economies right, all of that will be lost as well,” said Bullard.
Enrollment in Florida colleges last year increased slightly year-over-year, but was still down by 11% compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
The bipartisan-backed provision that allows undocumented students to get in-state tuition has been in place since 2014. More than 63,000 Dreamers have gone to college on waivers in Florida over the past decade. Last year, over 6,500 students utilizing these waivers paid $26.7 million in tuition at state colleges and universities.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who supports rolling back in-state tuition for undocumented students, said he wants to take away any incentives families have for coming to the state of Florida illegally, including cheaper tuition.
Republican State Senator Randy Fine, who filed a bill that would not only take away in-state tuition from these students but also ban them from most Florida public universities and colleges, said they are taking spots from Floridians at the state’s top colleges.
A table showing the bulk of Dreamers on waivers attend community colleges. Courtesy of the Florida Policy Institute. (1468x712, AR: 2.061797752808989)
At a press conference on Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis promised news soon about a compromise with the Florida legislature on immigration reform in the state.
Last week, DeSantis said he would veto a bill that the legislature passed which says state immigration enforcement would fall under the office of Agriculture Commissioner, sets aside $500 million to hire more law enforcement, and repeals a law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition.
He called the bill “weak” as he said it lacked stronger penalties for not enforcing the law.