Natalia Rojas said she chose UF because of the financial aid opportunity. Now, a month after its official discontinuation, the 21-year-old fourth year computer science major and her fellow international students are forced to reevaluate the affordability of higher education in the United States.
“Having that scholarship my freshman year is the reason why I chose to go to UF,” Rojas said. “It allowed me to come to the U.S. and study.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida House Bill 905, also known as the Foreign Interference Restriction Act, May of this year. The law shut down the Florida Linkage Institution Scholarships, a program that allowed international students from 11 countries to qualify for in-state tuition at Florida public schools.
With it, eligible international students saw their tuition costs drop by as much as $28,000 — or more than 80%.
Rojas was a recipient of the Florida Costa Rica Linkage Institute program, which specifically afforded Costa Rican students the in-state tuition rate.
“Imagine coming to study … with all of the excitement of coming to UF … and then all of a sudden, ‘Sorry, you can no longer follow these dreams,’” Rojas said.
DeSantis said the program was eliminated to rid Florida of the influence of terrorist organizations from countries of concern and to increase penalties for Florida political leaders found receiving gifts from foreign threats, including for relations with Cuba. The only linkage institution connected to one of the countries of concern was China’s.
Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson, whose Florida House district encompasses Gainesville, opposed the motion.
In a statement to The Alligator, Hinson wrote the bill eliminated important educational opportunities for international students and native Floridians.
“We can protect Florida from legitimate foreign influence and security threats without closing doors to students, educators and institutions engaged in legitimate academic exchange,” she said.
Hinson’s educational concerns weren’t the only ones raised. David Cruz, the national director of communications for the League of United Latin American Citizens, also emphasized the benefits of hosting international students in boosting the Florida economy.
International students contributed $1.5 billion to Florida’s economy in 2023 alone, according to the Association of International Educators.
The purpose of an education, Cruz said, is to make people contribute more meaningfully to the economy where they live.
“All of this flies out the window when Florida says you're not welcome here,” Cruz said.
Contact Erica Dybas at edybas@alligator.org. Follow her on X at Erica_Dybas.
