After regular session adjourned in March, legislators reconvened in a May special session to complete the 2026-2027 state budget. University Boards of Trustees can now set fees for out-of-state students, while Florida continues to hold the line on in-state tuition.
The Florida Legislature passed the 2026-2027 State Budget on May 29. The budget awaits the Governor’s signature and will take effect July 1, 2026, pending any line-item vetoes.
Lawmakers passed a $114.5 billion budget, a 3.9% reduction from last year’s, supporting a variety of new and continued initiatives.
Higher education negotiations centered on funding tied to preeminence, expanding the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) fund, university out-of-state fees, and the transfer of the University of South Florida Sarasota Manatee Campus to New College of Florida. New investments included funding to expand the Guardian Program to state college and university campuses.
Within K-12 Education, both chambers negotiated approaches to scholarship funding. Funding for the Acceleration Options Supplement was maintained after its creation last year.
This budget recap outlines key appropriations that will impact Florida students’ postsecondary access and success.