In the haze of college deadlines, interviews and acceptances, many Florida students are dependent on attending in-state schools for higher education. In recent years, Florida schools have been improving. However, the recent increase in praise for these schools has come at a cost to Florida high school students, who now fear they have a decreasing chance at admission. To combat this issue, Florida representatives have proposed a new bill.
The bill, known as HB 1279, proposes that many Florida schools limit international students to 5% and require 95% of their admissions to be in-state students. Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson proposed the bill. It was passed in the state house on Mar. 3 and its next step will be to the Senate. This bill has stirred mixed reactions among Florida residents, raising questions about the bill’s ramifications and the reasoning behind its creation.
Some believe the bill will serve its purpose and help prioritize Florida students during the admission process.
“It would promote more the welfare of the actual state versus the international,” Miami Palmetto Senior High sophomore Lana Althuis said.
In addition, the money spent on supporting international students could help fund more special programs, scholarships and overall more benefits for Florida students.
On the other hand, in Florida, about 31.5 billion dollars from Florida residents’ taxes are dedicated to education, meaning those who pay for these institutions are not the primary group benefiting.
Moreover, some believe that this bill favoring in-state students could hurt both the schools and American education as a whole.
“The schools still need to pay their bills, and I think these international students are paying the bills,” Advanced Placement World History teacher Julianne Farkas said.
Over 92% of incoming freshmen at the University of Florida, for example, are Bright Future Scholarship recipients, amounting to a student population of over 23,000. Despite this, the school has a student population of over 61,000, and international and out-of-state students generally pay more money to the school, a factor they may not be able to afford to lose.
Still, money is not the only factor leading some to believe the bill’s cons outweigh its pros.
“I do think that there is a certain American idealism that is exported with these international students,” Farkas said.
Florida is one of the largest hosts of international students. Florida International University ranks as the number one in the southeast for international students. While this may not seem important, exposing students from across the globe to American culture is an influential resource that could be lost if the number of international students who can be accepted is reduced.
Whether or not the bill progresses, it is clear that this movement has sparked conversation about how education will move forward during times of competing opinions.
