Fee Waivers

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not specify that U.S. citizens or those lawfully present are included in the eligibility criteria, only undocumented students who meet certain conditions.

Fee Waivers for Undocumented Students

This bill requires certain Florida universities, colleges, career centers, and charter technical career centers to waive out-of-state fees for undocumented students who meet specific conditions.

What This Bill Does

• Requires universities, colleges, career centers, and charter technical career centers in Florida to waive out-of-state fees for eligible students.
• Specifies that the waiver applies to students who are undocumented for federal immigration purposes but meet certain criteria.

Who It Names or Affects

• Undocumented students attending Florida universities, colleges, career centers, and charter technical career centers.
• Florida educational institutions that offer higher education.

Terms To Know

undocumented

Refers to individuals who are in the United States without proper authorization from the federal government.

out-of-state fees

Additional costs charged by educational institutions for students not residing in the state where the institution is located.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill only applies to certain types of Florida educational institutions.
• It does not cover all undocumented students, but rather those who meet specific conditions such as attending a secondary school in Florida for three consecutive years before graduating from high school.

Official Summary Text

Fee Waivers; Specifying that a requirement for certain universities, colleges, career centers, and charter technical career centers to waive out-of-state fees for certain students applies to students who are undocumented for federal immigration purposes, etc.

Current Bill Text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 882

By
Senator Jones

34-01049-26 2026882__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to fee waivers; amending s. 1009.26,
3 F.S.; specifying that a requirement for certain
4 universities, colleges, career centers, and charter
5 technical career centers to waive out-of-state fees
6 for certain students applies to students who are
7 undocumented for federal immigration purposes;
8 providing an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (12) of section
13 1009.26, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14 1009.26 Fee waivers.—
15 (12)(a) A state university, a Florida College System
16 institution, a career center operated by a school district under
17 s. 1001.44, or a charter technical career center shall waive
18 out-of-state fees for students
, including, but
not limited to,

19
students who are undocumented for federal immigration purposes,

20
who are citizens of the United States or lawfully present in the

21
United States
who meet the following conditions:
22 1. Attended a secondary school in this state for 3
23 consecutive years immediately before graduating from a high
24 school in this state;
25 2. Apply for enrollment in an institution of higher
26 education within 24 months after high school graduation; and
27 3. Submit an official Florida high school transcript as
28 evidence of attendance and graduation.
29 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.