What attracts the attention of many Ecuadorians to study in Argentina: the devaluation of the peso or the free access to universities?

The devaluation of the Argentine peso captivates Ecuadorians who decide to visit the southern country for tourism. However, in recent years, another reason has been added to this scenario: Training.

Many of the young people graduating from high school are looking for options for their future in local universities, reviewing academic loopholes and costs. In most cases, the application process, getting a place in public universities and even the entrance tests for private universities “discourage” them and they start looking for alternatives abroad.

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Argentina is postulated as one of the favorite destinations, due to its language, the fall of the Argentine peso and the access to the institutions, since unlike Ecuador, the public university in Argentina is easily accessible. To access third-level education, you can enter as a tourist and then, within 30 days of registering, start the residency process before the National Directorate of Migration.

This (academic) interest has been present for a long time. In 2018, Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility recorded that 3,100 citizens wanted to study third-degree subjects, master’s degrees or doctorates, especially in the medical career. In 2020, more than 2,500 Ecuadorian students enrolled in the pre-university program in Argentina.

With regard to the following years (2020-2021), a report by the Synthesis of University Statistics Information, from the National Ministry of Education, reveals that 2,636 Ecuadorians studied a bachelor’s degree.

Medicine: the big favourite

This year, according to a publication of the Argentine newspaper Clarín, the faculty with the most Ecuadorian students of Medicine is nationwide. For example, at the National University of La Plata, there are 4,471 students who want to become doctors, of which 1,167 are from Ecuador. However, his return plans are questionable. Not only because of the title validation processes, but also because of the high level of insecurity that currently prevails in our country.

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Elizabeth Acosta is from Manta, in 2018 she tried to apply for a career related to health and although she applied in different provinces of the country, she was not accepted. “I got 850 points in the Ser Bachiller test and that wasn’t even enough to enter Nutrition,” he notes.

After a year out of college, she began looking for options at private universities, but her family’s economic difficulties prevented her from that option and in 2020, she traveled to Buenos Aires to begin her medical education. “Argentina offered me a better quality education for free, so I made a decision,” he says.

The panorama was not the best; a day after they settled in Buenos Aires, the COVID-19 pandemic started; however, his studies did not stop for long. The Common Basic Cycle (CBC), which is leveling, started him virtually with videos of the teachers on YouTube.

At the age of 22, he completes the second year of his studies, noting and emphasizing the academic quality received abroad that “easily” opened the doors for him.

In Camilo Artieda’s case, it was his father who “put the option on the table” but also bet on public education.

After graduating from university, he tried his hand at journalism, but it wasn’t what he wanted to pursue, so he retired and chose medicine; However, the high prices of subjects in Ecuador’s private universities and the admission tests of the institutions tended to make him want to study abroad. “The free course and the good reviews from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) made all the difference,” he explains.

The University of Buenos Aires has 13 faculties with more than 100 degree programs and introductory courses that, according to the students interviewed, are simple and practical.

Although the admission process in Ecuador is no longer (mandatory) in the hands of the Secretary of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (Senescyt), but any student can do it directly at educational institutions, traveling to Argentina remains a tempting proposition for many students because of the economic factor.

Odeth Jara (21) already studied medicine at a private university in Guayaquil. Soon after, his brother also entered the same institution and studied the same degree. The expenses for his mother, the only source of income in the family, were exorbitant. Moreover, the varied schedules caused problems in his daily life and he started looking for other options.

Before enrolling in a private university, he took the Ser Bachiller test to apply to the University of Guayaquil and the 900 points earned did not give him a chance to secure a place. “I didn’t want to take the exam again, I didn’t want to waste any more time,” she says, and after a few months she traveled to Buenos Aires. His brother followed suit and they are both able to support themselves thanks to the remittances they receive from Ecuador.

On average, Ecuadorian students can live and study on $400, taking advantage of the exchange value in the parallel market.

dollarized rents

The basic amount to live in Argentina depends on each student’s circumstances. That’s what the interviewees say With $500 a month they receive from their relatives, they manage to live comfortably. However, the basic salary in Ecuador is below this “necessary” value and although they have tried to organize themselves to have part-time jobs, it is not possible.

“Visiting Argentina may sound cheap to many due to the constant devaluation of the peso. When you arrive, however, the panorama looks slightly different, at least if you don’t receive remittances from relatives or have a job offer that is paid in dollars. According to what I have spoken with some Ecuadorian colleagues here, we have realized that the lifestyle in Buenos Aires is more expensive than in the rest of the provincial capitals,” says Jara.

One of the biggest expenses is housing.. The rent will depend on the student’s lifestyle: sector, number of rooms and the services included in the contract. Many of these departments have prices already quoted in dollars. “The constant devaluation of the Argentine peso is not as favorable as can be read on social networks, because when the dollar rises, Argentine prices also rise and some services, such as rent, are already paid in dollars”, explains the student.

Not everyone plans to return to practice in Ecuador. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has indicated that in order to speed up the processes for the validation of educational qualifications granted in Ecuador, especially for doctors, both countries will sign and enter into force the ‘Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Titles, Diplomas and Academic Degrees in Higher Education‘, which speeds up the process.