Florida

Enacted Policies

Florida provides eligible undocumented residents, including DACA recipients, with access to in-state tuition.

Florida does not appear to provide undocumented residents with access to state financial aid and driver licenses  or state identification.

Florida House Bill (H.B.) 851, signed into law on June 9, 2014, allows certain undocumented students living in Florida, including DACA recipients, to access in-state tuition. Undocumented students must apply for an out-of-state fee waiver. They must meet certain requirements to apply for the out-of-state fee waiver, including:

1. Attend a secondary school in Florida for at least three consecutive years before graduation;
2. Enroll in a Florida public institution of higher education within 24 months after high school graduation; and,
3. Submit an official Florida high school transcript as evidence of attendance and graduation.

Students who apply for an out-of-state fee waiver are not eligible for state financial aid.

For more information on Florida’s in-state tuition waiver click here.

Refugee In-State Tuition: Under a Florida Department of Education policy, certain non-U.S. citizens who are recognized under federal law as having legal status in the United States such as lawful permanent residents, persons in certain visa categories, asylees, parolees, refugees, and Cuban-Haitian entrants who have applied for such status and who otherwise meet the consecutive 12-month legal residence requirements, are eligible to establish Florida residency for tuition purposes. Provided that the non-U.S. citizen has proof of his or her permanent immigration status, he or she may be classified as a Florida resident after 12 consecutive months from the time he or she establishes legal Florida residence for tuition purposes. It is not necessary to wait 12 consecutive months from the date he or she becomes an eligible alien (e.g., the date the resident alien card (I-551) is issued). Asylum seekers are eligible if they can present a receipt proving they have a pending application or an employment authorization document. 

Florida does not appear to have policies regarding access to state financial aid for undocumented students, including DACA recipients.

Additional Financial Aid

TheDream.US is a national organization that offers scholarships to DACA and undocumented students attending eligible postsecondary institutions across the country. In Florida, the following institutions are TheDream.US Partner Colleges:

• Broward College;
• Florida Atlantic University;
• Florida International University;
• Miami Dade College;
• Palm Beach State;
• University of Central Florida;
• University of South Florida; and,
• Valencia College.

On May 10, 2023 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1718 that repealed a statutory provision that allowed the Florida Supreme Court to admit undocumented individuals, including DACA recipients, into The Florida Bar to practice law in the state. This will go into effect November 1, 2028 and will not affect anyone who obtains their law license before this date.

Florida Professional Licensure Requirements & Business Registration

To learn more about the licensure & business registration requirements, review TheDream.US & Immigrant Finance Resource Guide. The information in the guide is based on outreach to the state’s specific licensing boards from April to July 2023 and is subject to change. To get up to date information on licensure application requirements, individuals should verify this information with the licensing board. 

Undocumented immigrants in Florida do not have access to a driver license or state identification card. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles implemented new changes in July 2020 that require non-citizens to provide evidence of lawful presence in the U.S. and a Social Security Number (SSN) to obtain a driver’s license.

DACA recipients in Florida are allowed to obtain a driver license or state identification card.

On May 10, 2023, Governor DeSantis signed SB 1718 into law. One of the law’s provisions states that valid driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants by other states will no longer be accepted in Florida.  SB 1718 went into effect on July 1, 2023. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and Governor Ron DeSantis  released a  list of out of state licenses that are now invalid in Florida on July 5, 2023. The list is available on the FLHSMV public website. 

Below are some links from community organizations in Florida that detail what Florida’s SB 1718 will and will not do.

• Americans for Immigrant Justice– an overview of SB 1718, along with helpful graphics. 
• ACLU of Florida– A helpful overview of Sb 1718, general guidelines, and Know-Your-Rights material. 

Florida Senate Bill (S.B.) 300, introduced on December 18, 2020, and  House Bill (H.B.) 923, introduced on February 10, 2021, would expand access to state financial aid to undocumented students who graduate from a Florida high school and meet other certain requirements.