Negotiations for the 2026 Special Fund for Higher Education to Begin Amid Student Backlash
The National Council of Rectors (Conare) announces the start of negotiations amid student organizations' protests against the process.
The National Council of Rectors (Conare) has announced that negotiations for the Special Fund for Higher Education (FEES) for the year 2026 will commence on May 27. This announcement came shortly after 35 student organizations issued a statement rejecting what they described as the 'premature and rushed' initiation of FEES negotiations.
The student groups have called for Conare to suspend the negotiation process until the promised 2% budget increase for public universities for 2025 is effectively allocated.
In their statement, they described the early negotiation as illegitimate, claiming it betrays public universities, Costa Rican students, and the country.
They criticized the discussions around the financial future of public universities taking place under conditions of institutional weakness and a lack of transparency, accountability, and genuine participation from the student movement.
Last year, the Legislative Assembly approved a budget of ¢11.5 billion for public universities after negotiations between university rectors and the Executive Power to define the budget for the year failed.
Conare announced that the first session of the so-called Liaison Commission is scheduled for 2 p.m. on May 27, taking place at the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications (Micitt).
This Commission is the body responsible for the negotiation process and consists of representatives from the government, rectors, and student representation.
Participants from the government will include Leonardo Sánchez Hernández, Minister of Education and president of the Commission; Marta Esquivel Rodriguez, Minister of Planning; Nogui Acosta Jaén, Minister of Finance; and Paula Bogantes Zamora, head of Micitt.
The representation from public universities includes María Estrada Sánchez, president of Conare and rector of the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (Tec); Carlos Araya Leandro, rector of the University of Costa Rica (UCR); Francisco González Alvarado, rector of the National University (UNA); Rodrigo Arias Camacho, head of the University of State at Distance (UNED); and William Rojas Meléndez, rector of the National Technical University (UTN).
Raquel Loría Quesada, president of the UNA Student Federation (FEUNA), will also participate.
In the initial meeting, representatives will seek to establish the general principles of the negotiation, approve pending minutes from the 2024 process, and set guidelines to monitor the agreed-upon indicators, according to Conare.
Students have requested that the rector of UCR, Carlos Araya Leandro, refrain from participating in the FEES dialogue.
For the past two weeks, the student group Alianza Estudiantil has been demanding Araya's resignation along with calls for the departure of members of the UCR Student Federation (FEUCR) board.
The student groups have called for Conare to suspend the negotiation process until the promised 2% budget increase for public universities for 2025 is effectively allocated.
In their statement, they described the early negotiation as illegitimate, claiming it betrays public universities, Costa Rican students, and the country.
They criticized the discussions around the financial future of public universities taking place under conditions of institutional weakness and a lack of transparency, accountability, and genuine participation from the student movement.
Last year, the Legislative Assembly approved a budget of ¢11.5 billion for public universities after negotiations between university rectors and the Executive Power to define the budget for the year failed.
Conare announced that the first session of the so-called Liaison Commission is scheduled for 2 p.m. on May 27, taking place at the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications (Micitt).
This Commission is the body responsible for the negotiation process and consists of representatives from the government, rectors, and student representation.
Participants from the government will include Leonardo Sánchez Hernández, Minister of Education and president of the Commission; Marta Esquivel Rodriguez, Minister of Planning; Nogui Acosta Jaén, Minister of Finance; and Paula Bogantes Zamora, head of Micitt.
The representation from public universities includes María Estrada Sánchez, president of Conare and rector of the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (Tec); Carlos Araya Leandro, rector of the University of Costa Rica (UCR); Francisco González Alvarado, rector of the National University (UNA); Rodrigo Arias Camacho, head of the University of State at Distance (UNED); and William Rojas Meléndez, rector of the National Technical University (UTN).
Raquel Loría Quesada, president of the UNA Student Federation (FEUNA), will also participate.
In the initial meeting, representatives will seek to establish the general principles of the negotiation, approve pending minutes from the 2024 process, and set guidelines to monitor the agreed-upon indicators, according to Conare.
Students have requested that the rector of UCR, Carlos Araya Leandro, refrain from participating in the FEES dialogue.
For the past two weeks, the student group Alianza Estudiantil has been demanding Araya's resignation along with calls for the departure of members of the UCR Student Federation (FEUCR) board.
