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Official Q&A: VEX U Robotics Competition 2025-2026: Push Back

Usage Guidelines All Questions

2915: <VUT6> Student Eligibility & Southern Hemisphere Clarifications

Spencer Vaughan (Event Partner)
12-Nov-2025

Hello!

I wanted to clarify the student eligibility rules for VEX U teams under the following definition: VUT6a:

All VEX U Team members MUST be matriculated in a post-secondary school OR have earned a post-secondary education diploma, certificate, or other equivalent during the six (6) months preceding the VEX Robotics World Championship. The intent of this rule is to permit VEX U Students graduating mid-year to still be able to finish their competition season.

In many southern hemisphere countries (Australia & New Zealand specifically), students typically graduate from high school in November-December and begin university studies in Feb. This means they are matriculated within the six months preceeding the World Championship, even if their university studies have not yet begun.

Based on this, I'd like to confirm the following points of eligibility:

  1. Transition from V5RC to VEX U: If a student competes in V5RC during the 2025 calendar year (graduating from HS in December 2025), can they join their university's VEX U team once they begin University in Feb 2026 and compete at local events or the 2026 World Championship? (The student would not be dual-enrolled as they would have finished HS before beginning University).

  2. Pre-Enrolment Participation: If a student has graduated high school but has not yet finalised their university enrolment (e.g. waiting for offers or acceptance confirmation), are they permitted to participate in VEX U events prior to officially enrolling? Assuming the student has knowledge that their enrolment is guaranteed (either through guaranteed acceptance scores or pre-offers/scholarships)

Example Timeline:
  • Student finishes competing in High Stakes (May 2025) and does not compete in Push Back while completing their final year of high school.
  • Graduates high school in November 2025. Below is within 6 months of the World Championship
  • Joins a VEX U team and competes in an event after graduation (Early December 2025)
  • Enrolment Confirmation received in late December 2025.
  • Begins university studies in February 2026.
  • Competes in another VEX U event in March 2026.
  • Attends the 2026 World Championship.

At what point in this example would the student be considered to meet the eligibility definition for VEX U participation?

Thanks in advance for the clarification!

Answered by committee
11-Dec-2025

Thanks, Spencer, for these questions.

The Students in your example, who graduate high school late in one calendar year and begin university studies early in the next calendar year, are eligible to participate in either V5RC or VURC for the remainder of that competition season; they cannot participate in both programs simultaneously. This will be reflected in the next game manual update.

Students cannot participate in VURC until they have been formally enrolled in or admitted to post-secondary studies (i.e., when they meet the definition of matriculated).

The Students in your example could choose to leave their V5RC Team after high school graduation to join a VURC Team after formal university enrollment.