José Antonio Kast's government softened its initial proposals to limit free higher education amid resistance from coalition parties RN and UDI. Instead of an age cap and a four-year moratorium for new institutions, it opted for milder adjustments to economic indicators and a two-year pause. The move aims to ease passage of the Reconstruction Project.
Chile's government revised its approach to free tuition, a policy marking its tenth year, within the sweeping Reconstruction Project. An initial official draft proposed barring the benefit for those entering university over 30, later shifted to 12 years after high school, as explained by Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz. These ideas sparked internal frictions and criticism from coalition figures.
Lawmakers like Diego Schalper (RN) challenged the age cap: “Pretending to cut free tuition for those over 30 is a mistake.” Jorge Alessandri (UDI), Chamber of Deputies president, agreed: “On free tuition, we think setting an age cap is an error.” Resistance from RN and UDI shaped the final changes.
Article 24 replaces Tendential GDP with Non-Mining Tendential GDP as the indicator, raising thresholds and making it harder to activate new income deciles for free tuition. Article 25 sets a two-year moratorium on new institutions joining, down from four initially proposed, without affecting current ones.
Sergio Bobadilla (UDI), Education Committee president, praised it: “It goes in the right direction, incorporating necessary responsibility and better targeting.” PC lawmaker Daniela Serrano critiqued: “The government realized it lacked the backing for a major overhaul.” Schalper noted the narrowing would aid consensus.
