One year after the National Scholarship Fund “For Our Future” began, granted by the Secretariat of Planning and Programming of the Presidency (Segeplan), the program reached, as of March 31, 2026, 414 scholarship recipients. Of these, 59% correspond to women and 41% to men. Regarding ethnicity, 52% identify as Ladino and 46% as Mayan.
According to Segeplan data provided to Prensa Libre, the committed budget amounts to Q46 million 816 thousand 221, of the Q225 million assigned to the program, that is, 19.11%. The average amount per scholarship is Q116,263.09, and the estimated duration ranges between four and six years.
According to Carlos Mendoza, secretary of Segeplan, the program faced pressure before its implementation. “Congress gave us three months to develop the regulatory framework for the fund, in coordination with the National Mortgage Credit (CHN), which manages the resources, while Segeplan manages the process from the call to the follow-up,” he indicated.
Mendoza pointed out that one of the main challenges was to prevent the program from becoming a clientelist tool. “Our main success was designing an electronic platform that would take away the problem of clientelism or political manipulation of the fund. Having deputies or well-connected people come to ask for a scholarship for someone,” he said.
The system works digitally, allowing applicants to apply from anywhere in the country. According to Mendoza, the selection process is based on three criteria: socioeconomic condition, academic potential and prioritization of strategic careers.
“This fund is not designed for academic excellence, but for people who, due to their socioeconomic condition, have not been able to access university,” he explained. However, he added that the student’s academic career and interest in contributing to their community are also evaluated.
In her opinion, María del Carmen Aceña, former Minister of Education, believes that the program should be analyzed within a broader policy. “The educational issue in Guatemala must be taken in a comprehensive manner. It is important to have resources for low-income young people to access university, but the country’s biggest problem is at the diversified level: it is only 50% covered; the other part has already been lost, even though they are very talented people,” he said.
Territorial distribution
The department of Guatemala concentrates the largest number of scholarship recipients with 76, followed by Alta Verapaz with 65, Quiché with 39, Chimaltenango with 31 and Totonicapán with 24.
They are followed by San Marcos and Sololá, with 17 each; Escuintla, with 16; Quetzaltenango, with 14; Jutiapa, with 13; Huehuetenango, Jalapa and Chiquimula, with 12; Baja Verapaz, with 11; Petén, Izabal and Suchitepéquez, with 9; Retalhuleu, with 8; Santa Rosa, with 7; Zacapa, with 4, and El Progreso, with 2.
“Alta Verapaz is one of the departments with the highest levels of poverty and lowest schooling. We have managed to get the message there and the algorithm is identifying those candidates who have merit, but no resources,” said Mendoza.
However, Aceña warns that territorial distribution also reflects structural limitations of the educational system. “Many talents are lost in the departments because there is not enough diversified offering. In places like Alta Verapaz there may be more scholarships because there is greater proximity to educational centers of that level,” he said.
Recurring races
The program includes three types of scholarships. Undergraduates—which include bachelor’s degrees and university technicians—concentrate the majority, with 371 beneficiaries. They are followed by postgraduates, with 18, and non-university technicians, with 25.
According to Mendoza, at the postgraduate level a “bottleneck” has been identified in the completion of files. “We believe it is because they are people who are already in the labor market and in another stage of their life, which makes it difficult to complete the process. That is why we have low numbers,” he explained.
Aceña points out that, beyond the offer, it is necessary to evaluate the relevance and quality of the funded courses. “The State should certify the quality of universities and careers before assigning scholarships. It is not enough to finance studies; we must ensure that human capital is really being formed,” he indicated.
- University technician in social work
- Business administration
- Nursing technician
- Professional stylist
- Agronomy
- Nursing
- social work
- Engineering
- professional chef
- Hemodialysis technician
- Nutrition
- Doctor and surgeon
- Psychology
- Legal and social sciences
- Pedagogy
- Teachers in secondary education and technician in educational administration
Where are the scholarship holders studying?
- University of San Carlos of Guatemala (Usac): 27%
- Mariano Gálvez University: 15%
- Rafael Landívar University: 13%
- Zamorano University of Honduras: 6%
- Intecap: 5%
- University of the Valley of Guatemala: 4%
- Da Vinci University: 4%
- Pan American University: 3%
- Rural University: 3%
- Galileo University: 2%
- Others: 5%
Regarding the fact that the majority of scholarship recipients are at the University of San Carlos, Aceña believes that it does not make sense, when it is a public university. “There is no tuition fee; of course, being a USAC student involves costs: young people have to come to the city and buy a computer,” he said.
“I think it is ridiculous that we are giving people scholarships to go to public universities. All we have seen in recent years is that universities have lost the academic part,” he questioned.
Aceña referred to the fact that, after the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional universities are no longer caring as much about merit. “They have become institutions that welcome students regardless of whether they learn or not,” he said.
Mendoza explained that, although Usac is a state university and students pay a minimum fee, the scholarship program offers a monthly stipend of around Q2,200, the purpose of which is to support them with the purchase of books and transportation. “We hope that this amount is good enough to help them free up time, so that they can concentrate more on their studies and can complete their degree in less time,” he said.
What is required
For Aceña, the scholarship program needs to be integrated into a broader educational policy strategy, with emphasis on quality, relevance and merit. One of its main proposals is to establish evaluation mechanisms before allocating resources. “The first thing that is needed is a certification of the quality of the courses at the universities. It is not enough to grant a scholarship if there is no certainty that the student is receiving adequate training,” he said.
In that sense, it considers that the State must prioritize investment based on the results and needs of the country. “We must evaluate where to place the resources to ensure that professionals are trained in areas that really contribute to development,” he indicated.
Aceña also raises the need to strengthen an approach based on merit and commitment. “A virtuous circle of education must be created, where the best are supported and they, in turn, can give back to the country with their training,” he stated.
In addition, it emphasizes that the program should be articulated with a medium and long-term vision that includes the connection of scholarship recipients with the labor market or the public sector. “It is not just about financing careers, but about understanding where these people are going to work and how they will contribute to the country,” he explained.
He reiterated that the main challenge continues to be at the base of the educational system. “If the diversified level is not strengthened, a large amount of talent is lost in the departments. Therefore, any scholarship strategy must be comprehensive and consider the entire educational trajectory,” he concluded.
Requirements to apply
According to Segeplan, the goal is to go from the 414 scholarship holders that we had until March and reach 1,200 scholarship holders. That is, it is proposed to grant 100 per month.
Apply for the “Por Nuesto Futuro” scholarships by clicking here: https://becasnuestrofuturo.gob.gt/
- Nationality: be Guatemalan and reside in the country.
- Academic history: certification of grades and short essay on the challenges and achievements during studies.
- Social commitment: history of social, volunteer or community service (service in the community, in school, in the church, volunteering, etc.).
- Socioeconomic situation: provide information on the socioeconomic situation (housing, access to services, parents’ educational level).
- References from two people: who recommend the application and an essay about the reasons for continuing your studies and how this will help you and your community.