Unrestricted University Access in Latin America: An Educational Circus!
So, let’s dive into a topic that sounds like it should give you a headache but is actually juicier than your average soap opera: university access in Latin America! Particularly, we’ll be shimmying through Argentina’s open-door policies—no, not like that open-door policy at the pub after 2 AM—where anyone who can successfully navigate secondary education can waltz right into higher education. Put down your tequila, and let’s break down the national law that allows students entry into universities like it’s a buffet. The National Higher Education Law states that “all people who pass secondary education can freely and unrestrictedly enter undergraduate education at the higher education level.” It’s like a free-for-all at a birthday party—only with less cake and more caffeine-induced stress!
Researchers Ana García de Fanelli and Cecilia Adrogué recently threw a piñata of insights in their article “Equity in Access and Graduation in Higher Education: Reflections from the Southern Cone.” They noted that in Argentina, “the admission mechanism is not selective since a number is not usually established.” So, essentially, if you can fog up a mirror and have your GCSEs to prove it, you can get in! It’s like proving your worth by performing stand-up comedy when you haven’t rehearsed; talent is secondary—just get up there and give it a go!
Uruguay: An Unrestricted Admission Paradise!
And let’s not forget our neighbor, Uruguay! Here, admission systems are national. The only thing you need is to have passed secondary school, much like showing up to a hipster café with pants. Some institutions might give you a pop quiz, just like that intrusive relative at family gatherings, but most will just invite you in with a warm embrace. The Ibero-American Higher Education Network is keeping tabs on all of this, probably taking notes over a mate-filled brunch meeting!
Article 71 of the Uruguayan Constitution waves the “free education” flag like a country at a football match. They’re all for it—official primary, secondary, and higher education, all for the taking—no tuition fees required! Imagine Argentina and Uruguay like two buddies having a non-selective entry clown college party—no standards, just laugh-worthy antics!
Chile and Brazil: The Private Enrollment Battle!
Now, let’s switch gears and head over to Chile and Brazil where the plot thickens faster than a Netflix drama. Contrary to our earlier unrestricted revelers, students here take a slightly more… selective route. In Chile, Law No. 21,091 kicked off a fancy new Access System—because who doesn’t love a good bureaucracy? Here, aspiring students face the dreaded Higher Education Access Test (PAES). It’s like an academic Hunger Games: may the odds be ever in your favor!
And in Brazil? Well, they’ve got the National Secondary Education Exam (ENEM) which functions like a gatekeeper. Depending on your score, you might get a golden ticket to the university of your dreams—or just a consolation prize, like a set of steak knives. Who knew that unblocking a path to education came with such drama?
Bolivia and Paraguay: Mixed Messages and Methods
Now let’s take a detour through Bolivia and Paraguay—where access to university can feel like navigating through a maze designed by an eccentric architect. In Bolivia, some people stroll in like it’s a free-for-all, while others have to take an exam or prove they were secondary school overachievers. It’s a mixed bag, really. And in Paraguay, the routes can vary from an eliminatory entrance course to non-eliminatory admissions. It’s like a buffet with too many choices—just pick one!
However, fear not; much like finally getting your long-awaited order after that six-week delivery, public universities in Paraguay have established free admission and degree courses thanks to Law No. 6,628/2020. That’s right! Education is on the house in all public universities—no strings attached!
What it All Means
In summary, while Argentina and Uruguay embrace the “Come one, come all!” mentality, neighboring countries like Chile and Brazil have tightened their systems tighter than a drum at an orchestra rehearsal. The students in the private education ring seem to be all set up in the VIP section with a cover charge, while public university students enjoy a much less stressful entry that feels more like riding a bike than climbing Everest.
So next time you think about education access, remember—whether it’s a walk in the park, a trip through a jungle, or a high-stakes game show, the rules of engagement vary significantly across borders. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to sign up for a non-discriminatory clown course! 🎪
In Argentina, access to universities, both public and private, is unrestricted. The National Higher Education Law establishes that “all people who pass secondary education can freely and unrestrictedly enter undergraduate education at the higher education level.” It also indicates that the processes of leveling and professional and vocational guidance “should in no case have a selective, exclusive or discriminatory nature.”
In it article “Equity in Access and Graduation in Higher Education: Reflections from the Southern Cone”, researchers Ana García de Fanelli and Cecilia Adrogué explain that in our country “the admission mechanism is not selective since a number is not usually established. of applicants to enter through the establishment of vacancies or maximum quotas per career, nor are aptitude or knowledge tests implemented at the end of middle school for access to university or tertiary studies.
However, this does not happen the same in all countries in the region. As we tell in this note, total enrollment in universities in Latin America increased by 32% between 2012 and 2021. But more than 50% of students attend private universities.
How do students access universities in countries where private education predominates, such as Brazil and Chile? And what happens in other countries where the majority attend public universities? We tell you in this note.
Unrestricted access to the university: the case of Uruguay
The Ibero-American Higher Education Network (Red IndicES) is a regional collaboration initiative between the Ibero-American Observatory of Science, Technology and Society of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OCTS-OEI) and the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS). , for its acronym in English). Among the indicators followed by country is the mechanism of access to higher education.
For the case of Uruguaythe Red explains that There, the admission systems to higher education for any of its institutions are national in nature, and the only entry requirement is passing secondary school.. Only some institutions have entrance tests, such as the Higher Institute of Physical Education (ISEF) and the School of Medical Technology of the University of the Republic.
Article 71 of the Constitution of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay declares free official primary, secondary, higher, industrial and artistic education and physical education of social utility; the creation of further education scholarships and the establishment of popular libraries.
“Argentina and Uruguay, with a high presence of the state sector in higher education enrollment, are characterized by non-selective admission policies and without payment of fees in undergraduate and graduate degrees in the public sector,” explains the report “Policies to promote equitable access in Latin American higher education” by researcher Ana García de Fanelli, published by UNESCO.
Admission processes to access university: the cases of Chile and Brazil
As explained in this note, there are countries that have a greater number of enrollment (that is, students) in private universities than in public ones, as is the case of Chile or Brazil.
In Chile, the Law No. 21,091 on Higher Education established in 2018 a new Access System to Higher Education Institutions that establishes processes for the application and admission for students who want to pursue higher education in the affiliated institutions. The admission process is a selection and admission system through a standardized test called Higher Education Access Testknown as PAES.
“In Chile, with the majority of higher education students enrolled in the private sector, A group of state and private universities apply selective admission policies, and state and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) charge fees for teaching services.“, warns the report by García de Fanelli.
In Braziladmission is also done through a test called the National Secondary Education Exam (ONE) and, according to the qualification obtained, the person is placed in the Unified Selection System, which works as a ranking for those trying to enter a career.
The sociologist and specialist in social and educational statistics Nancy Montes explained about these countries, in dialogue with Checked: “In Chile and Brazil they have conditional admission to universities, because they have exams in the last year of secondary school. And, depending on the score obtained in these exams, it is the referral to a university circuit. That’s not strictly an entrance exam, but is a strong condition for access”.
Bolivia and Paraguay: mixed systems
In the case of Bolivia, the conditions to access higher education vary depending on the type of university. According to a report from the Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, entitled “Access systems, permanence regulations, and tutoring and retention strategies for higher education students”, There are no policies and regulations that establish clear and homogeneous criteria for accessing universities. in the country.
According to a report of the Authority for Supervision and Social Control of Companies (AEMP) of Bolivia, in Higher Education in the country there are marked differences between public and private institutions. In the first, 4 modalities are presented: a “dispensation” exam; a pre-university course; academic excellence at the secondary education level; or free entry, “preferably in courses with few students or low demand.”
In contrast, private universities have a less restrictive admission process, since “almost everyone who aspires to enter is admitted.” In certain cases, a pre-entry exam is required, but in most cases it is not a sine qua non entry requirement.
“For example, the Bolivian Private University (UPB) requires for the Admission of new students the approval of the so-called ‘Academic Aptitude Test (PAA)’, in which certain aptitudes of new applicants are measured (mathematics and verbal)” , warns the AEMP report.
On the other hand, there are the indigenous universities, created by former president Evo Morales in 2008, which are public in their administration but do not belong to the Executive Committee of the Bolivian University like the rest of the public universities. For admission they have specific requirements, one of the main ones being “satisfactorily knowing the native language that characterizes each of them,” according to the report from the Catholic University.
In Paraguay, University access systems vary between a trial entrance course of an eliminatory nature, a non-eliminatory admission course and direct access.
Entrance and graduation courses in public higher education institutions are no longer charged as of the promulgation of the Law No. 6,628/2020 of that country, which establishes free admission and degree courses in all public universities in Paraguay, including public higher institutes, in accordance with the report 2024 of Higher Education in Ibero-America of the Interuniversity Development Center.
