UPR records 1,147 admission cancellations amid strikes.

University of Puerto Rico President Zayira Jordán Conde

By THE STAR STAFF

University of Puerto Rico (UPR) President Zayira Jordán Conde said Wednesday that the university system has recorded 1,147 admission cancellations for this year’s incoming class, while campuses affected by work stoppages are evaluating adjustments to the academic calendar.

“It is highly probable that the majority of the campuses that have been affected by work stoppages will have to make some type of adjustment to the academic calendar,” Jordán Conde told members of the press.

Alfred Díaz Meléndez, the UPR’s associate vice president for student affairs, said the admissions process has already taken place and that the university is currently in the stage of confirming admitted students.

“For the [incoming] Class of 2026, we received 11,700 applications,” he said. “9,975 students were admitted. As of today, 8,789 have confirmed their attendance, and 1,147 have cancelled.”

The official clarified that the cancellations correspond to students who declined their acceptance, while other applicants simply failed to confirm their admission or offer an explanation.

Díaz Meléndez noted that on the same date in 2025, UPR had recorded 810 admission cancellations, compared to the 1,147 reported this year.

The official maintained that the increase cannot be automatically attributed to the current situation at the campuses, although he acknowledged that it could be a contributing factor and that a campus-by-campus analysis would be required.

Jordán Conde indicated that she has requested a plan to increase the conversion rate of admitted applicants into enrolled students, given a historical attrition rate of nearly 30% between these two groups.

“We have an intensive support plan in place throughout the summer to try to recover those cancellations and convert those applicants into enrolled students,” she said.

The UPR president also pointed out that certain orientation activities and assistance sessions for completing financial aid applications have been disrupted at campuses such as Mayagüez and Río Piedras, where students have gone on strike along with the Ponce Campus, which could potentially impact the confirmation processes. Students at the currently striking campuses have demanded that Jordán Conde step down by May 4. Students at the UPR campuses in Bayamón and Cayey have voted to go on indefinite strike on that date if that demand is not met, while students at UPR-Humacao, the system’s third-largest campus after Río Piedras and Mayagüez, voted for a 72-hour strike starting May 4 under the aformentioned terms.

Jordán Conde maintained that enrollment remains stable compared to the previous year and that the university projects a similar number of admitted students for August 2026.