TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would've let incarcerated Floridians keep their resident status for discounted college tuition.
Senate Bill 62 was passed unanimously in the Senate and had a large majority in the House with the vote being 109-5 with Republicans voting against it. The bill would've let people still be considered in-state residents even if they were incarcerated.
In his veto letter, the governor said incarcerated students shouldn't receive the reduced cost associated with the cost of in-state tuition.
"Florida’s higher education system has ranked #1 in the country for nearly a decade, partly due to the state’s investment in our institutions over that same period. We should not reward criminal activity by providing inmates with the same benefits as law-abiding citizens.”
Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Tamarac, sponsored the bill and called it a step forward for previously incarcerated students to either continue or start their education after they are released.
"It is a commitment to promoting a more forgiving educational environment that values rehabilitation and second chances," she said on Facebook. "By ensuring that individuals who have been incarcerated maintain their residency status, this legislation not only dismantles financial obstacles but also reduces the stigma associated with past incarceration."
According to data from the State University System of Florida, the average cost of tuition per year for Floria residents in 2023-2024 was $6,113 for undergraduates on campus. While they don't have data for out-of-state tuition because each college varies, the University of Florida, the state's top university, lists its out-of-state tuition as $28,658 for undergraduate attendance for 2023-2024.
These two costs don't include books, course materials, living expenses, transportation and other factors.
DeSantis also recently vetoed a bill that would've cracked down on left-lane driving, making it illegal to use that lane unless a driver is passing another car. He also signed a range of bills over the past few days including one that bans the intentional release of balloons to protect wildlife and one that allows people to claim self-defense if they shoot a bear on their property.
He has vetoed eight bills so far and nearly $1 billion from the budget.
