Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

Photo: Ministry of Education (MEC)

Between 7 and 9 October, the selection committee for the Programa de Estudantes-Convênio (PEC), in its undergraduate (PEC-G) and Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PEC-PLE) modalities, met in Brasília, at the Rio Branco Institute, to evaluate applications from international students interested in pursuing undergraduate degrees or learning Portuguese at Brazilian higher education institutions starting in 2026.

The meeting brought together representatives from all regions across the country, including higher education institutions (HEIs), associations of institutions, and members of the Ministries of Education (MEC) and Foreign Affairs (MRE). The selection process followed the guidelines of Call for Applications No. 1/2025, published by the Higher Education Secretariat (Sesu/MEC) in July.

In this edition, the PEC-PG program offered 6,128 places across 340 undergraduate programs, distributed among 104 higher education institutions nationwide. The PEC-PLE program offered 789 places at 41 institutions located in 23 states.

Once again, the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) stood out as one of the most sought-after institutions by international applicants, ranking second in the selection process.

UFSC and the Southern region were represented in Brasília by Elisa Schemes, who coordinates PEC-G and oversees PEC-PG students at the university.

“Participating in two important stages of the PEC 2026 Selection Process expanded my understanding of the program. Until then, I had no experience with the steps that precede students’ arrival at HEIs: after candidates applied and submitted their documents to Brazilian embassies or consulates, I joined the remote document screening team responsible for approving applications. The second stage involved the Technical Selection Committee, which allocates candidates based on their preferences and the criteria established in the call, seeking to fill as many places as possible,” explained Elisa.

Interest in the program continues to grow: in 2025, 3,117 applications from 57 countries were received – almost double the number from the previous year. Of these, 2,550 were considered eligible for the selection.

During the screening process, candidates’ academic records and documentation were reviewed. To qualify, applicants must be citizens of one of the 73 participating countries, have a minimum high school grade average of 60%, and provide proof of a financial sponsor to support their stay in Brazil.

Implemented in partnership between the Ministry of Education (MEC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), the Programa de Estudantes-Convênio (PEC) aims to strengthen educational and cultural cooperation between Brazil and participating countries, fostering the academic development of international students and contributing to the internationalization of Brazilian higher education.

This text is based on a news story published by the Ministry of Education’s Social Communications Office, with information from the Higher Education Secretariat.