(U-WIRE) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill that would ban state universities from granting financial aid to international students who are in this country on student visas is working its way through the Florida Legislature.

House Bill 21 and its identical Senate companion, SB866, would still allow foreign graduate students to receive funding as part of work-study programs for serving as teaching or research assistants. Those students could also still receive financial aid from private sources.

But the bill would require universities to stop giving state-funded scholarships to the approximately 1,657 foreign students that the Florida Department of Education says are studying in public universities with state funding.

The House bill passed the Colleges and Universities Committee 9-0 Tuesday afternoon, and a legislative staff analysis from that committee reported that $5.7 million could be saved by cutting such students off from their funding. An additional $2 million could be plucked from such students in community colleges.

That money would then be spent to provide need-based scholarships to Florida residents.

The House staff analysis said the bill “may limit opportunities for foreign individuals or families by eliminating sources of financial assistance that might have otherwise been received.”

Moreover, while some Florida students could benefit from the new need-based scholarships, the bill could decrease the amount of private financial aid funds available to residents if universities redirect those funds to foreign students to allow them to continue their studies.

None of the House or Senate bill sponsors returned calls seeking comment Wednesday.

Luis Suarez-Isaza, president of UF’s Volunteers for International Student Affairs, or VISA, said the bill was an unfair shot at foreign students that would hinder UF in attracting the best and brightest students from around the world.

“If you’re a bright and ambitious student in Germany, you might as well go to France instead of the United States because it won’t be as expensive, there won’t be the visa hassles and there won’t be the feeling of ‘we don’t want you here,'” he said.

Moreover, foreign graduate students go on to perform vital roles in this country’s science and research community, where America is producing too few homegrown scientists to remain globally competitive, he said.

Maria Rodriguez, coordinator of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said that Florida students’ educations are enriched when universities bring in the most diverse base of knowledge possible, including students from foreign countries.

UF has approximately 2,700 international students, according to the International Center Web site. Currently, the site says, “there is very little financial aid available for foreign nationals to study in the U.S. Most grants, scholarships and loans from public and private sources are restricted to U.S. citizens.”