BRASILIA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian government's program University for All (ProUni), which grants scholarships for students to access private colleges, registered this year more than a million inscriptions, the Ministry of Education reported on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, 1,048,631 students were enrolled in 2011, establishing a record, compared with 822,000 last year.

The program created by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will grant this year 123,170 scholarships, of which 80,520 are full and 42,650 are partial, covering half the cost of the courses.

Candidates will go through a selection process, after which the government may open a new enrollment if there are remaining scholarships.

Expanding ProUni was a promise made by President Dilma Rousseff during the electoral campaign last year. She took office on Jan. 1, reiterating that investments in education would be a priority during her four-year term.

According to experts, shortage of skilled labor is one of the biggest obstacles to the economic growth in Brazil, the government is committed to making access to higher education easier.

At present, only 14 percent of Brazilian youngsters aged between 18 and 24 receive higher education, which is far below the National Education Plan's target of 30 percent.