The National Council of Universities (CNU) cut the annual budget assigned to two houses of higher education that are not controlled by rectors faithful to the Government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo: the Central American University (UCA) and the Catholic University of the Dry Tropic ( Ucatse), to which he assigned only one million cordobas for 2022.
The CNU — plagued by officials close to the regime — has systematically reduced the resources of both universities from 2018 to date, with the excuse that it will use the money for a ‘Special Patriotic Fund’, a ‘Reconstruction Seed Fund’ ( as of 2019), and a ‘Digital Transformation Fund’, to which 27 million córdobas were allocated as of 2022.
The decision to increase these “special funds” contradicts the spirit of Law 89, or the CNU Law, which mandates that resources be earmarked specifically for universities, said a source who asked to remain anonymous.
Only the UCA —an institution of the Society of Jesus— and the Ucatse —whose rector emeritus is Monsignor Abelardo Mata—, have suffered systematic declines between 2018 and 2022.
The Antonio de Valdivieso International University (Uniav), of Dominican inspiration, which has offices in Rivas and Chinandega, was also being punished between 2018 and 2021, and although this year the budget was increased by almost six million córdobas, the net for the 2018-2022 financial year shows a loss of 14.7 million, that is, 18.3% less than the 80.5 million assigned in 2018.
Reduction in scholarships
The decision of the ten rectors that make up the CNU represents a devastating blow to the finances of both houses of higher education, although the UCA is the one that bears the brunt, losing 250.9 million córdobas (99.6%) between 2018 and 2022, while Ucatse lost 51.7 million (98.1%), in the same period.
This systematic affectation led the UCA to denounce the treatment received, so much in 2019 What in 2021, and motivated the superior of the Society of Jesus, Arturo Sosa, write a letter in which he expressed his concern about the situation generated.
CONFIDENTIAL learned that, although the capital university plans to maintain the scholarships that are in progress, it will be forced to reduce the number of new scholarships by up to 90%. Each year, that alma mater renewed about a thousand scholarships, but in 2022, that number will be reduced to almost a hundred.
Although a professional not associated with higher education said that the UCA had fired some teachers, the university source said that what is being implemented is a voluntary retirement plan, to which some spontaneous resignations have been added.
Breakdown of millions
Until 2018, the Central American University showed a high dependence on the resources assigned by constitutional mandate, but having been affected year after year, until reaching the less than symbolic amount of one million córdobas for 2022, it has allowed them to reduce their dependence on those resources. resources, to be able to operate on their own.
The university source said that while there are currently no plans to increase the cost of tuition, which is $600 per semester, it stands to reason that that will have to change, most likely as early as 2023.
The CNU allegation is that this form of distribution allows greater support to be given to public universities, but the data shows that the increases allocated to these study houses add up to C$331.1 million, while the three funds mentioned above will receive almost 733 million cordobas.
When comparing the allocations of 2018 with those of 2022, the National Agrarian University (UNA), is the one that received the fewest additional resources, percentage-wise speaking: C$29.9 million (6.6%). It is followed by the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN – León), with C$66.2 million (7.1% more).
The National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN – Managua), and the National Engineering University (UNI), received the same percentage amount: 7.4%, but it is the UNAN – Managua that stands out with an increase of C$117.5 million, while UNI will receive C$61.8 million.
The Polytechnic University of Nicaragua (Upoli), whose name became internationally famous during the April Rebellion for the courage of the young people who entrenched themselves inside, managed to maintain its budget allocation between 2018 and 2021 with few changes, reaching an increase of C$17.1 million (9.1%) in 2022.
In a letter in which recognize Y honor the work of the president of the CNU and magnificent rector of the UNAN – Managua, Ramona Rodríguez, Upoli is grateful for making them part of the ‘Reconstruction Fund’ that would allow them to face “the destruction caused… by forces beyond our control, between April and July 2018”.
Finally, the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast (Uraccan), and the Bluefields Indian & Caribbean University (BICU), received the largest percentage increase (10%), corresponding to an additional C$19.3 million for each.
