# Costa Rican public university budget disputes > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/costa-rican-public-university-budget-disputes > Updated: 2026-10-18T02:49:58.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. Rectors of Costa Rica’s public universities have warned that proposed budget cuts by the Pueblo Soberano Party (PPSO) will severely impact regional campuses. The proposed reductions, totaling ¢26 billion in operating expenses for the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years, target five state universities. Specific concerns include potential reductions in engineering enrollment at the Universidad Nacional (UNA) and impacts on the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) and the Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED). The Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC) has specifically warned of a “technical closure” of its Limón academic center, stating that the Ministry of Finance has withheld funds intended for development under the Public Finance Strengthening Law. While TEC has used its own funds to cover salaries and scholarships for 417 students, the institution stated it cannot sustain operations indefinitely. A dispute has since emerged between university leadership and the government. TEC Rector María Estrada Sánchez stated that the lack of an October deposit has made a technical closure imminent. However, Minister of Education Leonardo Sánchez characterized these warnings as “political extortion,” alleging that TEC holds over ₡20,000 million in cash and short-term investments. Sánchez argued the budget reduction represents less than 1.7% of the institution’s available cash. In Limón, local officials have called for transparency and a continuity plan to protect students and services. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-18: Costa Rica TEC faces dispute over potential technical closure Costa Rican officials are disputing warnings from the TEC rector regarding a potential “technical closure” due to funding shortages, amid calls for transparency to protect university services in Limón. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/costa-rica-tec-faces-dispute-over-potential-technical-closure ### 2026-10-15: Costa Rican university rectors warn of budget cut impacts Costa Rican university rectors warn that ¢26 billion in proposed budget cuts by the PPSO party could force the closure of regional campuses, including the TEC academic center in Limón. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/costa-rican-university-rectors-warn-of-budget-cut-impacts --- Cite as: Costa Rican public university budget disputes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/costa-rican-public-university-budget-disputes