Guatemala, Tuesday, May 16th, 2023.- As part of the Bicentennial Scholarship Program, a regional initiative promoted by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration's (CABEI) Social Support Foundation (FAS for its name in Spanish), a cooperation agreement was signed on Tuesday with the Guatemalan Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) for US$625,000 to provide financial support to low-income high school students with academic excellence.

The funds will allow us to provide scholarships to approximately 50 students per year, for 5 years, so that they can receive a subsidy to cover annual expenses such as the purchase of teaching materials, uniforms, transportation, academic tools, food, school materials, connectivity, among others, throughout high school. 

"We are pleased to formalize the Bicentennial Scholarship Program in Guatemala in order to provide financial support to students who do not have the resources to cover their expenses, thus helping to reduce dropout rates in public high school education and guarantee that in the future they will have access to opportunities that will improve their quality of life" said CABEI Executive President Dr. Dante Mossi.  

The program will give priority to students who live in vulnerable environments and attend schools in at-risk areas. It is expected that this year the scholarship program will consider young people who are part of the "Niñas y Jóvenes Lideresas de mi País" (Girls and Young Women Leaders in my Country) initiative, a program promoted by MINEDUC that provides educational tools to minors and adolescents nationwide.

With these actions, FAS-CABEI contributes to reducing the education gap and school dropout rates in the region by targeting low-income students in the countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and Cuba, with resources totaling up to US$5.6 million.