Overview
- HB 1279, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson, cleared the House Budget Committee on a 20–7 vote and would tighten limits on out-of-state and international enrollment.
- The bill requires preeminent universities to reserve 95% of first-time fall undergraduate seats for Florida residents, calculated on a three-year average.
- It imposes a 5% per‑country cap on international students at each state university and restricts state financial aid to U.S. citizens or those lawfully present.
- Universities that fail to meet the 95% resident average starting in 2030 would lose eligibility for preeminent funding.
- Sponsors estimate roughly $54 million in reduced revenue as out-of-state enrollment shrinks, a shift drawing support for prioritizing Floridians and criticism over financial and workforce impacts.