Harvard Cancels Brazil, Mexico City Summer Programs Over Funding Constraints and Low Enrollment

Harvard canceled two faculty-led summer study abroad programs in Latin America over the last two weeks — in São Paulo, Brazil, and Mexico City — prompting frustration from several undergraduates who said they had already accepted admission offers and declined other summer opportunities.

The Harvard Summer School program in São Paulo was scrapped due to financial constraints, according to an email from program organizer Christine Soares. The Mexico City program was canceled separately because of low enrollment.

Students said the late notice left them scrambling to secure alternative plans.

“Some people for these summer abroad experiences had to turn down labs, had to turn down other opportunities,” said Darby J. Madden ’29, who had been admitted to the Mexico City program. “I can’t speak for them, but I can imagine that would be really, really hard to turn those things down for an opportunity like this, to then have that be canceled.”

In a message sent to students admitted to the Brazil program, Soares wrote that “financial constraints affecting programs this year mean that it is unfortunately not feasible to operate the program this year.” She added that funding awarded through the Summer Funding Opportunities Office would be rescinded.

“I have been working to make this project happen since 2022,” Soares wrote. “Please know that Marcia and I are truly devastated by this outcome.”

Soares also offered to advocate for students who had applied to other Harvard-affiliated opportunities.

“I have already been in contact with some of these offices to ask whether they might consider reinviting you or revisiting your applications,” she wrote.

In a separate email to students admitted to the Mexico City program, program organizer Adriana Gutierrez cited insufficient enrollment as the reason for cancellation.

“Given the low student enrollment for this program, the continued operation of this HSS 2026 faculty-led study abroad program is not feasible,” Gutierrez wrote. “If you received funding from the Summer Funding Opportunities Office (SFO) your funding will also be rescinded and you will receive subsequent correspondence directly from SFO.”

FAS spokesperson Harry Pierre said students affected by the cancellations who were offered SFO funding were contacted by the office and encouraged to visit the Mignone Center for Career Success for “assistance with further summer plans.”

“Students who proactively reached out to SFO after the cancellation have been offered funding to participate in an Office of International Education (OIE)-Approved summer abroad program,” Pierre added.

The São Paulo program was scheduled to run for six weeks and focused on Portuguese language immersion and the study of marginalized communities in Brazil. The Mexico City program, an eight-week offering, centered on Spanish language immersion through Mexican culture and art.

Students said the programs offered rare opportunities for full cultural and linguistic immersion.

Jocelyne I. Delgado ’28, who participated in the Mexico City program last summer, said she was saddened by the cancellation.

“I’m still really, really close to some of the teachers,” Delgado said. “When I talked to my professors about it, they said that a lot of it was numbers — like not a lot of kids signing up.”

For some students, the programs aligned with long-term academic plans. Katherine Lopez ’29, who had been admitted to the Brazil program, said participation would have helped her pursue two language citations.

“I would have had two less semesters that I had to do — which is like a year,” Lopez said. She had planned to complete two years of Portuguese for a citation before beginning Italian coursework.

Lopez said study abroad programs are especially important because they allow students to step outside what she described as Harvard’s “bubble.”

“I feel like people get obsessed with the circles they make at Harvard,” she said. “I really like traveling, and I really like Brazil guys.”

Several of the admitted students said their summer plans are now up in the air as they search for alternatives after application deadlines for other programs have passed.

“I didn’t expect them to be able to cancel it after everything had already been confirmed,” Madden said. “It’s really hard now to find something else to do this summer, because a lot of deadlines have already passed, and a lot of programs have finished accepting people.”

—Staff writer Kaylee Razo can be reached at [email protected].