Applications for the second semester of the 2026 Student Financing Fund (FIES) close Friday, July 17, at 11:59 p.m. Brasília time [1], [2], [3].
This program provides critical financial support for low-income students to pursue undergraduate degrees at private institutions [4]. By removing the immediate cost barrier of tuition, the fund aims to increase higher education accessibility across Brazil.
The Ministry of Education (MEC) said that a total of 75,500 vacancies are available nationally [5]. These slots are distributed across 1,274 participating private institutions [1], covering 28,741 different courses and shifts [1].
Prospective students must submit their applications through the Portal Acesso Único ao Ensino Superior [1], [6]. The registration window opened on July 14 and remains open until the Friday deadline [2].
Regional data shows varying availability across the country. In the state of Amapá, for example, there are 393 available financing slots [7]. Within that specific state, 50% of the opportunities are reserved for FIES Social [7].
The FIES program continues to be a primary tool for the Brazilian government to manage the gap between the demand for higher education and the capacity of public universities. Students who secure financing can defer the majority of their tuition payments until after graduation.
“Applications for the second semester of the 2026 Student Financing Fund (FIES) close Friday, July 17.”
The scale of the FIES 2026 offering reflects the Brazilian government's ongoing strategy to utilize private sector infrastructure to meet public education goals. By reserving half of the slots in certain regions for 'FIES Social,' the MEC is attempting to pivot the program toward more vulnerable socioeconomic demographics rather than general student populations.
