FGCU will close initial enrollment to some undocumented students in 2027 under a statewide admissions rule approved at its Fort Myers campus

The Florida Board of Governors unanimously approved a new admissions restriction at its meeting on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus in Fort Myers, WINK News reporter Miyoshi Price reported.

The final Regulation 6.001 says a person who is present in the United States unlawfully will not be eligible for initial enrollment beginning with the 2027-28 academic year at a state university that did not admit all academically qualified applicants during the two most recent academic years. The exception is for applicants rejected for nonacademic reasons.

Price reported that the restriction will apply to all 12 of Florida's state universities, including FGCU.

When the FGCU admissions restriction begins

The change begins with the 2027-28 academic year. The regulation addresses initial enrollment. It does not say that a student already enrolled must leave.

The Board's September 3 agenda memorandum says the proposal was opened for public comment after the Board approved notice of intent on June 25. Comments were received, but the Board made no further changes before final approval.

Who the new university rule covers

The text does not impose a general immigration-status test on every person connected to a university. It applies to people seeking initial enrollment who are unlawfully present in the United States, at universities meeting the admissions-history condition written into the rule.

For an FGCU applicant, the practical change is that immigration status becomes part of the initial-enrollment eligibility decision beginning in 2027-28. The approved text does not create a new rule for the current 2026-27 academic year.