Every year, about 590,000 students enroll in public universities and about 2,300,000 are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree.
Traditional careers are once again setting the trend in enrollment in public and private universities for the 2021 cycle, although some of them show growth in the choice of medical sciences, especially nursing and psychology, two professions being considered essential in the fight against the pandemic.
According to a survey by Télam of several universities, it was also found that the enrollment level was maintained and even higher than that of 2020, despite the difficult year that students are going through due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In this context, the rectors consulted assured that the postponement until November of this year of the presentation of certificates of completion of secondary studies, on behalf of the national government, encouraged the enrollment of students.
Enrollment level was maintained and even exceeded that of 2020, despite the difficult year for the students“
Delfina Veiravé, rector of the National University of the Northeast (UNNE) and chairman of the National Interuniversity Council (CIN), told Télam that in the study house he leads, “there was the same enrollment level as last year.) and others less, but the interest in traditional careers, including medicine, were preserved.
The head of the body that brings together all public universities explained that this year “the support programs for students coming out of high school will be intensified,” among other things, he added, “because we know (of the existence Of) the heterogeneity in learning due to the lack of connectivity resources that existed last year “, especially among those students in vulnerable situations.
In this sense, Veiravé pointed out that “based on what the universities are already doing, the courses and tutorials will be intensified to assist students in their careers in the first year of their studies.”
Veiravé also stressed that this year “the documentation required for admission will be made more flexible as the presentation of high school completion certificates is extended until November 2021, which will benefit students.”
About 590,000 students enroll annually at Argentine public universities and about 2,300,000 are those who study a bachelor’s degree, according to the latest report from the Secretariat of University Policy, which also highlights that 33.5 percent are between the ages of 17 and 19 and 23.2 percent choose careers related to science and technology.
Hannibal Viguera, academic secretary at the University of La Plata, told Télam that early enrollment trends are responsible for a higher number of entrants than last year, when they were rounded up to 32,000, and that number has so far exceeded 500.
“We believe that in February the number of registrants will increase even more and that medical careers, such as nursing, kiniesiology and nutrition, will concentrate the largest number of applicants,” said Viguera.
About 590,000 students enroll in Argentine public universities per year and about 2,300,000 are those pursuing a bachelor’s degree“
He also said that “it is still too early to know if student motivation for medical careers is related to the pandemic, but at UNLP, this career has been leading the number of newcomers since admission to medicine.”
“We doubted that many boys would enroll in college after the pandemic,” said Viguera, who took care of not having to submit a high school diploma this year, “helped enrollment.”
As for the academic support of the newcomers, the UNLP’s academic secretary assured that “the number of enrolled people tripled” in that house of studies, which has 17 faculties and 115 careers.
Enrolled in Medical Sciences at UNLP totaling 5238 to date. In the UBA, they assured that until the registration in the CBC is completed at the end of February, they could not have consolidated data of registrants.
Last December, public universities received funding from the national government for tutorials, enhancement of technological equipment, conducting research and university education activities, and then, within the framework of their autonomy, the universities set their own strategies.
Alejandro Villar, rector of the National University of Quilmes (Unqui), assured Télam that “despite the pandemic, the student retention rate was quite high”.
He also stressed that the same number of enrollments as last year will be maintained, with the nursing career being “one of the preferred students.”
Villar emphasized that “there is a lot of uncertainty about how the 2021 school year will go. At Unqui, the first few months will be in a completely virtual way and we have the usual tutoring programs for students.”
“We don’t know how the students will arrive after a pandemic year, we have to see and work on it in the first quarter,” he revealed.
In the case of private universities, the increase in enrollment was more marked and careers in nursing and psychology were most in demand.
Austral University sources stressed that there was a 40% growth in registrations compared to previous years, especially in the areas of biomedical sciences, nursing and medicine “and that there was also a” greater influx into psychology. “
Meanwhile, at the Inter-American Open University (UAI), “the demand for psychology was very high this year, leaving no headquarters at all,” said university spokespersons.