Higher Education Minister Walter Baluja García said on the state television program "Mesa Redonda" on May 19 that admission to Cuban universities for the 2026-2027 academic year would instead be based on students' accumulated academic records from pre-university.
More than 32,000 graduating pre-university students will be assigned to over 100 majors, with placements running in three rounds from May 20 to July 2, according to Cuban state wire Prensa Latina. Over 4,000 places have already been allocated through academic competitions and pre-university colleges, and more than 47,500 additional spots are open for blended-attendance and distance learning programs.
Alongside Baluja García, Education Minister Naima Ariatne Trujillo Barreto announced that the 2025-2026 school year would close gradually between June 15 and 30 instead of July. Special education programs serving students with disabilities will end their year in May to spare those pupils long commutes. Sports academies under the National Sports Institute (INDER) and arts schools under the Ministry of Culture will also wind up formal instruction early. Graduation ceremonies will be held simply on school grounds or in students' home neighborhoods.
