Colfuturo made a call for professionals who are interested in accessing the Colfuturo Scholarship Credit to register for the call before the deadline expires this coming February 28.
In addition to announcing this key date, he noted that virtual talks will be given through this same channel until February 25 to resolve any doubts they may have about the application process. At least 1,300 professionals will benefit.
The Scholarship Credit Program, which Colfuturo develops in cooperation with Minciencias and the support of private companies, grants those selected up to US$50,000, which can be distributed to pay tuition, living expenses, tickets, installation and other items. However, it is a loan that can be forgiven up to 80%, depending on compliance with the established requirements.
Taking into account the new reality brought about by the pandemic, the people who are selected will have until the end of 2024 to start their studies abroad. Therefore, at the time of registration it is not necessary for candidates to have an acceptance letter from the university they want to study at. Nor with the certificate of domain of a second language. If they are selected, both documents must be delivered before starting the studies.
The keys to a successful process are that the candidate understands the requirements, has a very advanced command of the second language, organizes the budget well, carefully writes the requested essay and clearly projects what they want to do when they return.
“We want more Colombians to have the opportunity to live and study abroad. That is why I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity, which only occurs once a year, to compete for the support of the Scholarship Credit Program. Our mission is to contribute to the development of the country by generating postgraduate training opportunities for professionals through a long-term sustainable program that allows them to grow personally and professionally, opening up countless opportunities to their return to Colombia”, pointed out Jerónimo Castro, Executive Director of the Foundation.
He also explained that the percentage of the scholarship, which can range from 20% to 80%, will depend on the decisions made by the beneficiary, as follows:
20% for those who complete MBA studies or master’s degrees in Administration or Law.
40% for master’s degrees in all other areas and for all doctorates.
20% for those who return and work full time in the State, Education or Research.
20% for those who return and work outside of Bogotá.
It is important to know that the selection process is anonymous, which allows selection decisions to be made independently of the name of the candidate or previous knowledge about him. To achieve this, the selection is numerical and takes into account the academic excellence of each candidate, as well as the quality of the program they want to pursue.
According to an impact assessment carried out by the Universidad de los Andes and the National Consulting Center (CNC), Colfuturo beneficiaries have annual labor income that is 47.6% higher than those who were not.