New Florida Bill Seeks to Strip Financial Aids Off College Students Who ‘Promote’ Hamas

Florida college students who “promote” designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas could have their state-sponsored financial benefits stripped from them under a new measure proposed Wednesday by Republican lawmakers. The measure, Senate Bill 470, would penalize students attending Florida’s public colleges and universities if they “promote” any foreign terrorist organization designated by the U.S. Department of State. This would specifically include Hamas, which on Oct. 7 attacked Israeli towns near the border with Gaza with a killing and kidnapping spree; and Palestine Islamic Jihad, which is based in Gaza and fights alongside Hamas. Specifically, the bill calls for any student who “promotes” a terrorist organization to be required to pay out-of-state tuition rates, which are higher than in-state rates. Such students would also be disqualified for state grants, financial aid, scholarships, tuition assistance, or fee waivers....