5% Cap on Out-of-State Enrollment at Florida Universities Fails
Story Date: 3/17/2026

5% Cap on Out-of-State Enrollment at Florida Universities Fails
By  Katherine Knott

Florida lawmakers nixed a proposal to limit how out-of-state enrollment at some Florida universities, The Orlando Sentinel reported.

The measure in House Bill 1279 would have limited the nonresident undergraduate enrollment at the state’s pre-eminent research universities to 5 percent. Out-of-state students made up 15 percent of Florida State University’s most recent first-year class and 20 percent at the University of Florida.

State law currently caps out-of-state enrollment at 10 percent on average across Florida’s 12 public universities, the Sentinel reported. The proposed cap would’ve been costly for the affected institutions.

The Florida House passed the cap earlier this month as part of a broader education bill. The Senate removed the provision before voting to pass the overall legislation.