By Juan Villarreal Mussetto
Hundreds of students from various universities entered the Sarmiento Palace, located at 935 Pizzurno Street in Buenos Aires, where the National Education Secretariat is headquartered, on Wednesday. The protest is being carried out through a peaceful sit-in, with the primary demand being the implementation of the University Education Funding and Teacher Salary Restoration Law.
The students are also demanding an update to the amount of Progresar scholarships and are seeking answers from education authorities.
A law approved by Congress, but whose execution remains suspended
The demand for university funding centers on Law 27.795, a statute that establishes measures to strengthen resources for public universities, update operating expenses, restore salaries for teaching and non-teaching staff, and update student scholarships.
The law was sanctioned by Congress on August 21, 2025, but was subsequently vetoed by the Executive Branch. On September 10, the Chamber of Deputies insisted on its sanction with the required two-thirds of the votes, and on October 2, 2025, the Senate did the same, thereby converting the bill into law. Finally, the Executive Branch promulgated the norm through Decree 759/2025, published in the Official Gazette on October 21, 2025. However, the same decree established that the execution of the law would remain suspended.
Thus, the core of the student demand is that a norm approved by Congress and promulgated by the Executive can be effectively implemented. 351 days after its publication in the Official Gazette, students have once again placed the compliance of the law at the center of the university agenda.
What does the University Funding Law establish?
Among its main provisions, Law 27.795 contemplates the update of operating expenses for public universities and establishes budgetary update mechanisms. It also provides for measures related to the salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff and establishes the restoration and update of student scholarship programs.
Regarding scholarships, Article 6 establishes the restoration of programs such as Progresar, Manuel Belgrano Scholarships, and Nursing Scholarships, among others, in accordance with the accumulated variation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), while also providing for a progressive increase in the number of beneficiaries.
Therefore, the demand for Progresar scholarships is part of the claims accompanying this Wednesday's protest.
Students demand a response
Throughout the day, demonstrators have remained inside the Sarmiento Palace awaiting a meeting with authorities from the Education Secretariat. The demand aims to obtain answers regarding the implementation of the legislation and the status of scholarships for students.
The protest adds to a series of mobilizations focused on the funding of public universities. In parallel, student organizations have called for a new mobilization on October 15, also linked to the demand for resources for the university system.
“Enforce the University Funding Law” is one of the main slogans of the day, which brings back into discussion the gap between the sanction and promulgation of Law 27.795 and its effective execution.
