SB 90 amends Florida’s postsecondary fee-waiver statute to delete the existing requirement that certain students receive a waiver of out-of-state fees if they attended a Florida secondary school for three consecutive years, graduated from a Florida high school, and applied to college within 24 months. The bill specifically removes the language that currently extends this waiver to students, including undocumented students, who meet those criteria.
Under current law, qualifying students may be charged no more than resident tuition and fees at state universities, Florida College System institutions, district career centers, and charter technical career centers, subject to reporting and enrollment rules. SB 90 would eliminate that waiver category entirely, while leaving other fee-waiver provisions in place, including the separate veteran tuition-waiver priority referenced in the statute. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill would narrow section 1009.26, Florida Statutes, by striking the statutory basis for a broad out-of-state fee waiver tied to Florida high school attendance and graduation. As a result, affected students would no longer have a state-law entitlement to pay resident-equivalent tuition under this provision, and institutions would no longer need to administer or report waivers under the deleted subsection. The change would affect state universities, Florida College System institutions, district career centers, and charter technical career centers, as well as students who would otherwise qualify under the current law.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of legislative debate or formal vote sentiment in the materials supplied. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a restrictive change to an existing student-benefit policy, which typically suggests a more contentious posture than a routine technical amendment. The absence of discussion records prevents a reliable assessment of support or opposition beyond the statutory change itself.
Contention
The central point of contention is likely the elimination of out-of-state fee waivers for students who attended Florida high schools for three years and graduated in the state, including undocumented students who currently qualify under the statute. Supporters of the repeal would likely argue that the waiver should be limited or removed, while opponents would likely focus on access to higher education, affordability, and the impact on students who were educated in Florida but are treated as nonresidents for tuition purposes. The bill also preserves the separate priority for veterans receiving waivers under the Congressman C.W. Bill Young Tuition Waiver Act, which may be relevant if stakeholders compare treatment of different waiver categories.