Resident Status for Tuition Purposes

Plain English Breakdown

The bill has not yet been signed into law and its future is uncertain as it died in committee.

Resident Status for Tuition Purposes

This bill prevents individuals from losing their resident status for tuition purposes due to incarceration in state or federal correctional facilities within Florida.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the law so that being incarcerated does not cause someone to lose their resident status for paying college tuition.
• Adds a new part to an existing law about how students are classified as residents or nonresidents for tuition purposes.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who might lose their resident status because of incarceration in state or federal correctional facilities within Florida.
• Colleges and universities in Florida that set tuition rates based on residency status.

Terms To Know

resident status

The classification given to a person by the state for purposes like paying lower college tuition rates.

incarceration

Being in jail or prison as punishment for breaking the law.

Limits and Unknowns

• This bill only applies to people incarcerated within Florida's borders.
• The bill does not address other reasons why someone might lose their resident status.
• It is unclear if and when this bill will become a law since it died in committee.

Official Summary Text

Resident Status for Tuition Purposes; Providing that a person may not lose his or her resident status for tuition purposes due to incarceration, etc.

Current Bill Text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 720

By
Senator Osgood

32-00638-26 2026720__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to resident status for tuition
3 purposes; amending s. 1009.21, F.S.; providing that a
4 person may not lose his or her resident status for
5 tuition purposes due to incarceration; providing an
6 effective date.
7
8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10 Section 1. Present subsections (4) through (13) of section
11 1009.21, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5)
12 through (14), respectively, and a new subsection (4) is added to
13 that section, to read:
14 1009.21 Determination of resident status for tuition
15 purposes.—Students shall be classified as residents or
16 nonresidents for the purpose of assessing tuition in
17 postsecondary educational programs offered by charter technical
18 career centers or career centers operated by school districts,
19 in Florida College System institutions, and in state
20 universities.
21
(4) A
n individual

may
not lose his or her resident status

22
for tuition purposes solely by reason of incarceration in a

23
state or federal correctional facility in
this state
.

24 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.