With the support of the CABEI Foundation, up to 250 low-income Costa Rican students will receive scholarships while attending high school.

San José, March 02, 2023 - To ensure the completion of basic education for up to 250 low-income Costa Rican students with academic excellence, this Thursday the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) signed an agreement so that, through the Social Support Foundation (FAS), an economic subsidy will be granted to make this objective possible. 

The non-reimbursable financial cooperation, which will be executed by the MEP, is for an amount of up to US$625,000 as part of the "Bicentennial Scholarship Program" of the FAS, which will provide scholarships for up to 50 students per year during the five years of school, adding 50 new beneficiaries each year during the same period until reaching a total of 250 by 2027, These students will receive financial support for exclusive use in activities that promote and support their learning, such as the purchase of teaching materials, uniforms, transportation, academic tools, food, school materials, connectivity, among others. 

"Education is a human right that, as CABEI, we work hard to guarantee in our member countries by generating conditions of accessibility and supporting the needs identified. The children and youth of today are the future of tomorrow, which is why the main purpose of this Program is to reduce school dropout rates in the public education system and provide them with access to qualified jobs so that our region can become increasingly competitive," said CABEI Executive President, Dr. Dante Mossi.  

The agreement was signed by the President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, and CABEI's Executive President, Dr. Dante Mossi, accompanied by the Minister of Public Education, Anna Katharina Müller, as the coordinating agency. 

For CABEI, access to education is key as part of its Institutional Strategy and to support the sustainable, social and economic development of its member countries. For this reason, the Bicentennial Scholarship program was created to contribute to the social wellbeing of the countries in the region by supporting children who are academically excellent but have economic limitations and have difficulties completing their secondary education.