Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe

What Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe does

Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe (UNIARP) is a private non-profit community university headquartered in Caçador, Santa Catarina, Brazil, maintained by Fundação Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe (FUNIARP) under Brazilian philanthropic law (Lei nº 12.681/2012). Founded in 1971 as FEARPE and constituted as a university in December 2009, UNIARP operates two physical campuses (Caçador and Fraiburgo) with 26,000m² of built infrastructure, 147 classrooms, and more than 50 specialized laboratories serving approximately 6,912 students across over 20 undergraduate programs, master's and doctoral tracks (PPGDS and PPGEB), postgraduate specializations, and a distance learning platform (digital.uniarp.edu.br).

The institution generates revenue primarily through tuition and academic fees, supplemented by the state-funded Universidade Gratuita scholarship program (up to 100% coverage for income-eligible students), FIES federal financing, and the CREDIES deferred tuition program administered by Fundacred (50% during study, 50% post-graduation at 0.35% monthly admin fee). Additional revenue streams include extension services via school-clinics (physiotherapy, psychology, pharmacy, clinical analysis, legal practice) and the Ambulatório in Lebon Régis. Distribution relies on the Sistema Acafe vestibular consortium, ENEM-based admission, external transfers, and the 'Uniarp nas Escolas' outreach program.

UNIARP's core technology stack comprises Moodle-based learning management systems, TOTVS Corpore.Net/RM for academic and administrative operations, Microsoft 365 (Outlook, SharePoint) for institutional collaboration, and accessibility integrations (VLibras, NVDA). Supporting systems include Editora Uniarp (university press with international editorial board spanning Portugal, Spain, Colombia, Bolivia, Honduras, and Sweden), the CASA student success center, and compliance infrastructure including a DPO and Privacy Committee for LGPD adherence. Beyond academic delivery, UNIARP operates community-embedded programs including UAMI (476 senior learners across four municipalities), PAEC extension scholarships, the Coral Universitário choir, and the Colégio de Aplicação K-12 affiliate.

Name

Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe

Legal name

Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe

Website

https://uniarp.edu.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UNIARP is a private non-profit community university in Caçador, Santa Catarina, Brazil, operating two campuses serving approximately 6,912 students across 20+ undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, and distance learning programs, sustained by tuition, government scholarships, and school-clinic extension services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF), Transfer/University-Parallel Community Colleges (EDAHADAF)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Distance learning education
• Graduate research programs
• Medical residency training

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Catarina

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and academic fees: UNIARP generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to enrolled students across its undergraduate, graduate, and distance education programs. Financial assistance is provided through scholarships, FIES government financing, and the CREDIES deferred payment program, which covers 50% of tuition during study and 50% post-graduation.
2. Government-funded scholarships (Universidade Gratuita): The Universidade Gratuita program, funded by the State Government of Santa Catarina, provides full or partial tuition coverage for eligible students, with resources flowing through the state education secretary's system.
3. Extension services and community programs: Revenue is generated through extension programs including the Farmácia Escola (School Pharmacy), Clínica de Fisioterapia, Clínica de Psicologia, Núcleo de Práticas Jurídicas, and LEAC (Clinical Analysis Lab School), providing community health services while training students.
4. CREDIES deferred tuition financing: The CREDIES program, administered through Fundacred, enables students to pay 50% of tuition during their studies and the remaining 50% after graduation, with a 0.35% monthly administrative fee and no interest charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe (UNIARP) is a community university delivering in-person undergraduate degrees (20+ programs across Caçador and Fraiburgo campuses), distance-learning undergraduate programs (EaD), graduate specializations/MBAs, master's and doctoral research programs, and medical residency training. It supplements degree-granting education with school-clinic services in physiotherapy, psychology, pharmacy, clinical analysis, and legal practice; lifelong-learning programs such as UAMI for seniors; the affiliated Colégio de Aplicação K-12 school; and the Editora Uniarp academic publishing house.

Product overview

Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe (UNIARP) is a community university in Santa Catarina, Brazil, offering a comprehensive educational portfolio. The institution provides undergraduate programs (over 20 face-to-face courses across Caçador and Fraiburgo campuses), distance learning (EaD), graduate specializations/MBAs, and master's/doctoral programs through PPGDS and PPGEB. Extension programs including PAEC, UAMI, PROLER, and the University Choir engage the community. Clinical services like teaching clinics (Physiotherapy, Psychology, Pharmacy, Clinical Laboratory, Legal Practice, Ambulatory Care, Model Office) provide practical training and community service. The university press (Editora Uniarp) publishes academic works. Financial support includes the Universidade Gratuita program (up to 100% scholarships) and Fundacred credit. The affiliated Colegio de Aplicação provides K-12 education for teacher training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Graduação Presencial (In-Person Undergraduate Programs) More than 20 in-person undergraduate programs (bachelor's, technologist, and teaching-license degrees) offered across the Caçador and Fraiburgo campuses in health sciences, exact sciences, agronomy, humanities, and social sciences.
• Graduação Digital (EaD Distance-Learning Programs) Remote undergraduate degree programs delivered through the UNIARP Digital platform with virtual learning environments and online support services, including courses such as Gestão de Negócios e Inovação and Ciência de Dados e Inteligência Artificial.
• Pós-Graduação — Especialização e MBA Graduate specialization and MBA programs across engineering safety, aesthetics, clinical health, psychology, organizational development, and other fields, designed for professionals seeking credentialing or skill specialization.
• Mestrado e Doutorado (Master's and Doctoral Programs) Stricto sensu postgraduate programs at the master's and doctoral levels in Interdisciplinary Development and Society (PPGDS) and Basic Education (PPGEB), supporting advanced research and academic credentialing.
• Residência Médica (Medical Residency) Postgraduate medical-residency training programs delivered in partnership with healthcare institutions, providing hands-on specialty training for medical graduates.
• Programa Universidade Gratuita (Tuition Scholarship Program) State-funded scholarship offering up to 100% tuition coverage for eligible students (family income up to 4 minimum wages, residency in Santa Catarina for 5+ years), available for all courses including Medicine, with required community-service counterpart hours.
• Clínica-escola de Fisioterapia (Physiotherapy School Clinic) Physiotherapy teaching clinic offering charitable services to the regional community while providing practical clinical experience for physiotherapy students.
• Clínica-escola de Psicologia (Psychology School Clinic / Núcleo de Psicologia) Psychology clinic providing clinical, organizational, and school-based internship placements for psychology students while delivering mental-health services to the community.
• Clínica-escola de Farmácia (Pharmacy Teaching Laboratory) Pharmacy teaching laboratory providing pharmaceutical-care services to the community while supporting academic and practical learning experiences for pharmacy students.
• LEAC — Laboratório Escola de Análises Clínicas (Clinical Analysis Lab School) Clinical analysis laboratory school providing practical training for biomedical students while delivering diagnostic services to the regional community.
• Núcleo de Práticas Jurídicas (Legal Practice Center) Legal practice center providing law students supervised practical experience via direct community legal-service delivery under faculty guidance.
• Ambulatório em Lebon Régis (Outpatient Clinic) Outpatient clinic in Lebon Régis serving rural populations and providing community-healthcare delivery training opportunities for health students, particularly medical students.
• Escritório Modelo (Model Office) Model office integrating practical training for Architecture, Urbanism, Administration, and Civil Engineering students while delivering community services.
• Editora Uniarp (University Press) University press publishing academic works including books, e-books, and guides from the UNIARP community, featuring an international editorial board with members from Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Colombia, Bolivia, Honduras, and Sweden.
• UAMI — Universidade Aberta da Maior Idade (Open University for Seniors) Lifelong-learning program for adults aged 40+, offering 240 hours of coursework across modules covering civic engagement, intellectual development, and quality of life, currently serving 476 students in Caçador, Fraiburgo, Lebon Régis, and Santa Cecília.
• Colégio de Aplicação (K-12 Application School) Application school providing K-12 basic education (elementary through high school), integrated with the university for teacher training and educational research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 community service engagements delivered to the regional population
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sistema FIESC (Sistema das Federações das Indústrias de SC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIARP maintains partnerships with Sistema FIESC as part of its network of institutions serving Santa Catarina's industrial and economic development objectives. FIESC is referenced as a partner in research and institutional collaboration initiatives.
• CIDASC (Companhia Integrada de Desenvolvimento Agrícola de Santa Catarina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for agricultural development research and extension activities, leveraging UNIARP's Agronomy program to support regional agricultural productivity.
• EPAGRI (Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária e Extensão Rural de Santa Catarina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in agricultural research and rural extension, supporting UNIARP's Agronomy students and faculty in applied agricultural science projects.
• FAPESC (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAPESC provides funding and support for scientific research initiatives at UNIARP, including grants for faculty research projects and student research fellowships.
• FUMDES (Fundo de Apoio à Educação)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Santa Catarina state education fund supporting student financial aid and scholarship programs for undergraduate students.
• FundacredcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFundacred administers the CREDIES deferred tuition financing program at UNIARP, enabling students to pay 50% of tuition during studies and 50% after graduation. Fundacred manages the credit approval process, guarantor verification, and post-graduation payment collection.
• AMA (Associação de Amigos dos Autistas) de CaçadorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through UNIARP's Biomedicine course to support autism awareness and provide services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families in the Caçador region.
• APAE de CaçadorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through UNIARP's Biomedicine course supporting individuals with disabilities and their families through awareness activities and community service programs.
• Sistema Acafe (Associação Catarinense das Fundações Educacionais)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUNIARP participates in the Sistema Acafe vestibular consortium, which administers entrance exams and manages the selection process for multiple community universities in Santa Catarina. Through this system, UNIARP fills admission seats across its undergraduate programs each semester.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC): UNESC is a community university in Criciúma, Santa Catarina, also maintained by a non-profit foundation. It is UNIARP's closest direct peer — same state, same community-university model, same Fundação Acafe consortium for admissions, and overlapping extension/clinic programs. UNIARP's pharmacy team has even conducted a study visit to UNESC's Farmácia Solidária.
• Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó (Unochapecó): Unochapecó is a community foundation-maintained university in western Santa Catarina, sharing UNIARP's regional mission, FUNIARP-style governance, and participation in the Acafe system. Comparable in scale, tuition model, and reliance on state scholarship programs in the same geographic region.
• Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB): FURB is a Santa Catarina-based community university maintained by a non-profit foundation (FURB). It offers a comparable portfolio of undergraduate, graduate, and extension programs and competes in the same regional student market via the Acafe vestibular system.
• Universidade da Região de Joinville (UNIVILLE): UNIVILLE is a community university in Santa Catarina, also foundation-maintained and a member of the Acafe consortium. Comparable in scale, program mix, and regional mission to UNIARP, with a similar dependency on state scholarship programs.

Broad incumbents

• Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC): UDESC is a statewide public university with multiple campuses, including in regions overlapping UNIARP's catchment. As a public institution with tuition-free programs, it competes for the same regional students but with stronger research output and broader program depth.
• Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS): UFFS is a federal public university with a campus in Chapecó and surrounding western Santa Catarina region. As a tuition-free federal institution, it competes directly with UNIARP for price-sensitive students while offering stronger academic prestige and research funding.
• Anima Holding: Anima is one of Brazil's largest private education groups, operating multiple brands including Univeritas, UnP, and São Judas. It competes with UNIARP's EaD offerings through large-scale digital marketing and price competition, though its model lacks UNIARP's community-clinic ecosystem.
• Yduqs Participações: Yduqs (formerly Estácio) is one of Brazil's largest for-profit higher education companies, operating brands including Estácio, Ibmec, and IDOMED. It competes with UNIARP in distance learning markets and for medical school students through IDOMED.

Others

• Colégio de Aplicação (UNIARP affiliated): Wholly-owned K-12 subsidiary of UNIARP that supports teacher training and provides a basic-education feeder pipeline. Not a competitor but a vertically integrated extension of UNIARP's educational mission.

Regional players

• Fundação Universidade de Caxias do Sul (FUCS / UCS): UCS is a community university in Rio Grande do Sul, maintained by a non-profit foundation with a similar operating model to UNIARP. While geographically separated, it provides a useful benchmark for scaling community-university extension programs and clinical service revenue in southern Brazil.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uniarp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UNIARP
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNIARP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/uniarp
• Instagraminstagram.com/uniarp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe