Entre el pago y el mérito : admisión estudiantil e inclusión social en las universidades Chilenas

In recent years, the debate on access to and social inclusion in higher education has been intense, with university selection and admission standing out as particularly relevant topics. Admissions criteria and admissions in themselves are considered ‘technical-political devices’ or ‘social-technical tools’ and, as such, are increasingly interesting for research purposes. The historical tendency observed in the twentieth century is from an admissions system focused on merit to the diversification of criteria, consideration of social identities and use of affirmative action by groups that lack representation. This study is focused on university selection and admissions policies in Chile. At the same time, it also describes the role they play in socioeconomic access inequality in detail. As a result, it provides a comprehensive theoretical approach that helps align said policies with the aim of providing greater social inclusion in higher education. On the basis of the empiric and theoretical evidence presented at this study the author suggests that a series of changes in the selection and admission mechanisms of university students in Chile are needed. The search for social justice - that is to say, the capacity for self-fulfillment within the widest social spectrum - should be one of the main aims of an admissions system. By extrapolation, each university’s contribution to this aim could be evaluated as a result of how their enrollment is made up socioeconomically. The system’s general regulatory structure (criteria used, how places are offered, the number of places available, discounts, etc.) should allow institutions to outline the characteristics they look for in students beyond academic merit.Political Culture and National Identit