Update · 2026-09-07
The Florida-Brazil Linkage Institute let up to 25 Brazilian students a year pay in-state tuition at Florida's public institutions. On July 1, 2026 the program was terminated by state law, for new applicants and current recipients alike. This page documents what happened, with sources, and lists the merit scholarships that remain open.
What happened
In May 2026 Florida's governor signed House Bill 905, effective July 1, 2026. Among other provisions, the law repealed the out-of-state tuition exemption tied to the Linkage Institutes, the program that let students from eleven countries, Brazil among them, pay in-state tuition at the state's public institutions.
The University of Florida, which administered Brazilian selection through its Center for Latin American Studies, posted the notice on the program page itself: “The Florida Linkage Scholarship program ended permanently on July 1, 2026, due to a new law in Florida (HB 905) […] there will be no more out-of-state waivers issued to continuing or new applicants.” Sources: UF's official notice and the Independent Florida Alligator's coverage.
Some university pages still mention the program. They are out of date: there is no application, selection or renewal.
Who is affected
Students planning to apply for 2026–2027: there is no cycle. Planning now starts from out-of-state tuition and each university's merit scholarships.
Students already enrolled with the exemption: per UF's notice, the exemption is not renewed. Contact your university's international student office about merit awards for current students, tuition waivers and, for graduate students, assistantships.
Graduate students: assistantships with tuition waivers continue and never depended on the FBLI. Each university's graduate guide lists what it publishes.
What replaces it
These awards always existed, are funded by the universities themselves and do not depend on state law. Amounts are those published by each institution, verified on 2026-09-05. Full requirements, renewal and deadlines are in the “International aid” section of each guide.
| University | Award | Per year | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Florida | Green & Gold Presidential / Directors / Scholars | US$ 5,000 to 11,000 | Automatic with a complete application by January 15, 2027 |
| Florida International University | Presidential Merit Scholarship | about US$ 12,000 | Automatic with the application by December 16, 2026 |
| The University of Tampa | Presidential Scholarship | US$ 10,000 to 18,000 | Automatic; open to non-citizens; renewable for 8 semesters |
Yes. The University of Florida, which ran the selection, posted on the program page: “FBLI program terminated as of 1 July 2026”. The notice explains that Florida law HB 905 eliminated every Linkage Institute scholarship in the state, for continuing students and new applicants. Source: the University of Florida's official notice.
No. UF's notice is explicit: no further out-of-state waivers will be issued to continuing or new applicants after July 1, 2026. Enrolled students should contact their university's international student office about merit awards and other assistance.
Each university's own merit scholarships, which always existed and remain open to Brazilian students: Green & Gold at USF (US$ 5,000 to 11,000 a year), Presidential Merit at FIU (about US$ 12,000 a year) and Presidential at The University of Tampa (US$ 10,000 to 18,000 a year), among others. They depend on GPA and, at some universities, on the SAT.
It depends on budget and profile, as it always did. Without the exemption, the gap between a public university and a private one with merit aid narrowed, and a strong SAT score is now worth real money. Each university guide shows the real cost with and without aid.