Sisu 2026: Over 8,800 Seats Available in Maranhão

The Ministry of Education (MEC) has released the schedule for the Unified Selection System (Sisu) 2026. The program will offer 8,877 vacancies for undergraduate courses in Maranhão.

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Quick Summary

1The program will offer 8,877 vacancies for undergraduate courses in Maranhão, specifically at the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) and the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA).
2Previously, only candidates from the most recent exam could apply.
3Enrollment for admitted students will begin on February 2.

Quick Summary

The Ministry of Education (MEC) has released the official schedule for the Sisu 2026. The Unified Selection System will offer a total of 8,877 vacancies for undergraduate courses in Maranhão. These opportunities are available at the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) and the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA) across more than 20 cities.

The upcoming edition is projected to be the largest in the program's history, featuring over 274,800 vacancies across the country. A key update for 2026 is the expansion of eligibility criteria; candidates can now use scores from the Enem editions of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Registrations will be open from January 19 to 23, with the final results announced on January 29.

Vacancies and Institutions in Maranhão

The Ministry of Education has confirmed that the state of Maranhão will receive 8,877 vacancies for the 2026 selection process. This allocation is part of the largest edition of the program to date, which will feature a total of 274,800 vacancies nationwide. The vacancies in Maranhão are designated for undergraduate courses offered by two main federal institutions.

Specifically, the vacancies will be distributed across more than 20 cities within the state. The participating institutions include:

Universidade Federal do Maranhão (UFMA)
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Maranhão (IFMA)

The Sisu is a federal government program that selects students for public higher education institutions based on their performance in the National High School Exam (Enem).

New Rules for 2026

For the 2026 edition, the program introduces a significant change regarding the validity of exam scores. Previously, candidates were only allowed to enroll if they had taken the most recent edition of the Enem. The new rules allow the use of scores from the three most recent editions of the exam.

Candidates are eligible to apply if they took the Enem in 2023, 2024, or 2025. In addition to having taken one of these recent exams, applicants must have achieved a score above zero in the essay portion and possess a complete high school education. The program will maintain its single annual edition format, which has been in place since 2024.

Schedule and Important Dates

The Ministry of Education has published the official timeline for the Sisu 2026 process. Candidates interested in applying for the 8,877 vacancies in Maranhão should mark the following dates:

Registrations: January 19 to January 23. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM on the 23rd.
Regular Results: January 29. The final list of approved candidates will be released on this date.
Enrollment: Beginning February 2. Admitted candidates must complete their enrollment starting from this date.
Waiting List: January 29 to February 2. Candidates can express interest in the waiting list during this period.

Selected students may begin their academic year in either the first or second semester, depending on the opening of classes and the determination of the respective institution.