A Florida lawmaker has introduced legislation to reduce out-of-state freshman enrollment at the state’s public universities from the current system-wide average of 10% to a hard cap of 5% per institution.

House Bill 1279, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson (R-Lakeland), would particularly impact higher-profile schools like the University of Florida and Florida State University, where out-of-state students currently make up nearly 20% of incoming freshman classes. The University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida maintain lower rates at 12% and 6%, respectively.

Jonsson argues that qualified Florida students are being rejected despite meeting all admission requirements, while state taxpayers subsidize the universities. “We, as Florida taxpayers, have to send our students out of state,” she said during a House Higher Education Budget Subcommittee hearing.

However, universities and some lawmakers warn the proposal could create significant budget shortfalls. Out-of-state students at UF pay approximately five times the tuition rate of Florida residents—$1,030 per credit hour compared to $212. Florida State University estimates it would lose roughly $20 million annually in undergraduate tuition revenue under the new cap.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani noted that out-of-state and international students help subsidize the low cost of education for Florida residents, allowing the state to maintain some of the lowest tuition rates in the country.

The proposal comes as the Board of Governors recently approved allowing universities to increase out-of-state fees by up to 15% by 2026 to generate additional revenue. The bill is currently moving through the 2026 Legislative Session.

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