Venezuela proposes new university law amid crisis over admission places

Venezuela's minister for University Education, Ana María Sanjuán, proposed a national agreement to draft a new Universities Law, according to Espiga Noticias on September 19, 2026. The proposal, which must be discussed in the Consejo Nacional de Universidades, responds to a severe shortage of university places that keeps thousands of high school graduates out of higher education in the country.

The problem worsened because of technical failures in the Sistema Nacional de Ingreso, which excluded students with outstanding grades from admission assignments. The situation directly jeopardizes the training of the next generation of professionals in strategic areas for national development, such as health and engineering, and limits the ability of productive sectors to hire skilled workers in the medium and long term.

In response to the crisis, the ministry announced a roadmap that includes building new campuses for the Universidad Central de Venezuela, harmonizing criteria across the faculties of Medicine, and opening a new admissions call through the system within six months. The ministry also confirmed that contracted academic staff on full-time and part-time tenure-track positions will begin receiving the academic bonus from October 2026.