Foreign Students Enrolled in Public Postsecondary Educational Institutions

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Limiting Foreign Students in Florida Public Colleges

This law sets a limit on the number of foreign students who are not permanent U.S. residents at Florida public colleges and universities.

What This Bill Does

• Sets a rule that no more than 10% of students at any Florida public college or university can be from another country and not have permanent resident status in the United States.
• Requires the State Board of Education to make rules for how this limit will work at community colleges.
• Requires the Board of Governors to create rules for universities about following this limit.

Who It Names or Affects

• Foreign students who are not U.S. permanent residents and want to study in Florida public colleges or universities.
• Florida College System institutions and state universities that must follow these limits on foreign student enrollment.
• The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors, which need to make rules about how this law works.

Terms To Know

Permanent resident

A person who has been given permission by the U.S. government to live in the country for a long time but is not a citizen.

State Board of Education

The group that makes rules about schools and education in Florida.

Limits and Unknowns

• This law only affects public colleges and universities in Florida, not private ones.
• It does not specify what happens if a college or university has more foreign students than allowed by the new rule.

Official Summary Text

Foreign Students Enrolled in Public Postsecondary Educational Institutions; Requiring Florida College System institutions and state universities to limit the number of enrolled students who are citizens of a foreign country and who are not permanent residents of the United States to a specified percentage of students enrolled at the institution or university, etc.

Current Bill Text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 1276

By
Senator Martin

33-01482-26 20261276__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to foreign students enrolled in public
3 postsecondary educational institutions; creating s.
4 1004.0983, F.S.; requiring Florida College System
5 institutions and state universities to limit the
6 number of enrolled students who are citizens of a
7 foreign country and who are not permanent residents of
8 the United States to a specified percentage of
9 students enrolled at the institution or university;
10 requiring the State Board of Education and the Board
11 of Governors to adopt rules and regulations,
12 respectively; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 1004.0983, Florida Statutes, is created
17 to read:
18
1004.0983

Limiting the number of foreign students enrolled

19
in public postsecondary educational institutions.—

20
(1)

Each Florida College System institution and state

21
university shall limit the number of enrolled students who are

22
citizens of a foreign country and who are not permanent

23
residents of the United States to no more than 10 percent of the

24
total number of students enrolled at the institution or

25
university.

26
(2)

The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors

27
shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to administer

28
this section.

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