"You Can't Apply to Florida"

The politics of college choice

Photo by Joss Broward on Unsplash

“Mom, I got a letter from some college in Florida!”

“Go ahead and put it directly in the recycling … you aren’t allowed to apply to college in Florida. Or Texas. Or Arizona. Or Idaho, Utah, North Dakota, or Wyoming, actually…”

My son is in 10th grade and just starting to get the deluge of college recruitment materials, a result of him starting an account on some random college search website.

(Side note: if you are a parent or student whose ever wondered how so many schools, including some that you’ve never heard of, seem to get your mailing and email address to start sending recruitment materials, the answer is that they buy lists of names and address from places like ACT, College Board, Niche, Hobsons, and lots of other college search sites. It’s generally safe to assume that any website related to college exploration that requires users to set up an account are very likely going to sell that data to colleges. Colleges can then buy lists by geographic area, demographic categories, self-reported GPA, etc. so that they can try to build their eventual applicant pool.)

My son is a solid student, who lives in a fairly affluent zip code, who has expressed interest in out-of-state schools, and is considering majoring in a VERY common program… he’s going to get a lot of mail/email/texts from schools all over the country in the next two years.

And while I have some personal (and financial) preference for him to strongly consider his public, in-state options, I also know that the thought of going away to college can be really appealing. He also has some interest in exploring his options for HBCUs, which our state doesn’t offer, so I know that some out-of-state schools are likely going to be in the mix for him when the time comes to make his list of schools to apply to.

I also know that his list isn’t going to include ANY schools from some states because choosing a college can be as much a political choice as an educational one¹.

To put it bluntly: I am not comfortable spending thousands of dollars to send my child to any state that is actively trying (or has successfully) enacted legislation to restrict abortion access, to make trans people less safe, or to systematically make make their own higher education systems lower in quality by banning diversity/equity curriculum/programming and by driving out talented faculty.

A recent report from Gallup seems to indicate that I’m not alone in considering politics when it comes to college choices.

According to the report, “Seventy-one percent of currently enrolled and prospective college students say that states’ reproductive healthcare policies are at least somewhat important in their enrollment decisions”, with both a majority of those who identify as Democrats (86%) and Republican (63%) saying they have a preference for attending college in states that provide greater access to abortion care².

Gallup also found that prospective students are worried about gun safety, another entirely reasonable concern given the multiple incidents of mass shootings that have happened on college campuses (and churches and concerts and and and … because our country is all to willing to pay the Second Amendment tax in blood)

There isn’t great data (yet) on how anti-LGBT legislations influences college admissions choices, but there are plenty of anecdotal reports to that effect and, given that Gen Z is both more likely to identify as queer and to support LGBTQ rights than previous generations, I suspect the data will eventually back up the anecdotes.

Now, to be fair, there are some very high quality colleges and universities with committed faculty, passionate student affairs staff, and lots of students who are trying to fight the good fight in some of the states that are on my “nope” list for my son. I’m also aware that states that seem “safe” now can shift as a result of both state and national elections.

I also know that there can be a gap between what students say they prioritize and where they actually apply. So far, some of the flagship schools in some of the states with the worst records on abortion, gun, and LGBT rights are doing just fine in terms of applications, thanks in part to also being states with growing populations. Univerisity of Texas Austin had a record setting year, with over 73,000 applications for the fall of 2024. Florida State and Florida A&M both reported application increased for fall as well, though it isn’t clear if those increases are coming primarily from in-state or out-of-state applicants.

Despite that, I do think that there are college leaders who are concerned about how their states politics will potentially limit their ability to recruit the highly desired out-of-state students they need to meet their enrollment goals and budget constraints³. Whether that concern can translate into meaningful political action is another question altogether, especially in states like Florida where college presidents are eager to give high profile positions to “scholars” like Bruce Gilley, who is best known for being a vocal supporter of colonialism and who is ideologically opposed to tenure.

(I love some people who live in Florida, but Florida is a lot of YIKES when it comes to higher ed at the moment).

Ultimately, I think a lot of students and families have to decide to vote with their applications and their dollars when it comes to choosing where to apply to college. I encourage parents especially to consider the following questions when it comes to thinking about their kids options for higher ed:

• If my kid was trans, non-binary, queer, or somewhere in the LGBTQIA+ community, would they have legal protections from discrimination in this state? Would they be able to access health care or counseling or supports they might need? Remember: you may or may not know yet if your kid is in one of those categories, so don’t assume this question doesn’t apply to you.

• If my kid was pregnant or caused a pregnancy, would they have the ability to access (or help their partner) access abortion care without having to leave the state and disrupt their education? Remember, most college students are sexually active.

• Does our family believe that there is value in college students learning critical thinking skills and how to function in an increasingly diverse and multi-cultural world? Do we want our money going to states that are actively and intentionally trying to white wash history? Do we want our kid contributing to the tax infrastructure of those states?

• Do more guns on campuses make colleges campuses safer? Do I want my kid going to a state where students can legally carry guns to class?

If nothing else, parents and students need to talk about the political climate and culture of the states they are considering applying to and how the politics of those states align or don’t align with their political and moral values. As for me and my family, there will just be some states that just won’t make the list.

1. As a higher ed expert and a mom, I’m very much okay with setting some boundaries on where my kid can apply to college. 17 is too young to be given unlimited freedom to make a choice that can literally cost over $100,000 and I feel just fine about limiting his options.

2. College students have sex! Sex sometimes causes unwanted pregnancy. The majority of people who access abortion care are in their late teens to late 20s, so it is entirely reasonable to consider how they or a friend would be able to access this kind of care if they needed it.

3. I also think that they do, in fact, care about what is best for their students and recognize that safe reproductive care and laws that respect the inherent humanity and dignity of their students is what is best for their students.