Scholarships in Chile

Are you thinking of studying a university degree in Chile? Then you need to know about the scholarships offered there.

Chile currently has one of the most prosperous Higher Education systems in Latin America. People talk about the quality of its universities, the value of its study programs and the financing facilities that the Chilean Government's Ministry of Education itself offers to students. What is basically being talked about is the national scholarship program, an extremely beneficial alternative for those who have difficulty paying for their studies.

So far, we find in Chile one of the most complete state scholarship programs, suffice it to say that more than 180 thousand state scholarships are offered in the country, and if we add to that the alternatives that arise in the private sphere, which currently amount to about 80 thousand scholarships, the financing options for young higher-level students are unbeatable.

Have you already chosen the right scholarship for you?

National scholarships in Chile

The Chilean program of scholarships for university students is called Higher Education Scholarships and Loans, it is managed by the national Ministry of Education and has different modalities, depending on the student's socioeconomic reality, their academic performance and the study program they have chosen.

We could highlight three scholarship modalities within the national program: First-Year Tuition Scholarships, Second-Year Onward Scholarships and Complementary Scholarships.

First-Year Tuition Scholarships

This scholarship modality is financial support that fully or partially covers the annual cost of a specific degree. It is important to note that the funds are not given to the student directly, but rather the Ministry of Education is in charge of depositing the necessary sum in the Higher Education institutions selected by the students.

Under this scholarship modality, students will be able to find financial aid to study at “traditional” universities that are members of the Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas (CRUCH), to study at private universities, professional institutes, technical training centers and the Armed Forces.

The Beca Bicentenario for example is intended for students who graduate from high school with meritorious academic performance, that is, with a minimum average PSU score of 500. The benefit will also be for students who enroll in institutions belonging to CRUCH and who belong to quintiles 1, 2 or 3 (these are socioeconomic requirements). The scholarship covers the annual tuition fee for the degree.

If we focus on scholarships that can be used in private institutions, we will mention the Beca Juan Gómez Millas. In fact, this scholarship is not exclusive to private Higher Education centers, but is intended for all institutions accredited by the Comisión Nacional de Acreditación (CNA).

With the benefit you can finance up to $1,150,000 Chilean pesos of the annual cost of the degree. As with the previous scholarship, interested applicants must have obtained a minimum average PSU score of 500 and belong to quintiles 1, 2 or 3.

If you are in the top 10% of high school averages at your school, if you come from municipal, subsidized private and delegated administration schools, and if you plan to study at a Higher Education institution the year after finishing high school, the Beca Excelencia Académica is for you.

This benefit provides up to $1,150,000 Chilean pesos of the annual cost of the degree at any accredited higher institution. You must also belong to quintiles 1, 2, 3 or 4.

For technical degrees there are the Nuevo Milenio and Excelencia Técnica scholarships.

Scholarships from Second Year

The Scholarships from Second Year program is intended for those who are already immersed in the Higher Education system, but who have financing difficulties, also for those who did not enroll in the first year of the degree, but meet the required requirements.

In this case, you will be able to access the Beca Bicentenario as long as you are studying a degree at one of the universities belonging to CRUCH, belong to quintiles 1, 2 or 3 and have obtained a minimum average PSU score of 500. This scholarship funds the annual tuition fee for your study program.

The Beca Juan Gómez Millas - Cursos Superiores works in the same way as in the previous modality, only in this case, it is aimed at students who are already studying a degree. The benefit will be the same, since you can obtain up to $1,150,000 Chilean pesos of the annual cost of the degree and the requirements are also the same: average PSU score above 500 and being within quintiles 1, 2 or 3.

Under this modality we also find the New Millennium Scholarship - Higher Courses. This benefit is intended for regular students in the higher education system who are pursuing a technical or professional degree at a Professional Institute.

On this occasion, up to $600,000 Chilean pesos of the annual cost of the study program will be funded, and participants will be required to have a secondary school grade average equal to or higher than 5.0 for students of technical degrees, or 5.5 for students of professional degrees.

Complementary Scholarships

The Complementary Scholarships modality was created as a contribution for higher-level students so they can fund academic support in their first year of their degree, which is known as the Academic Leveling Scholarship; food expenses known as the Food Scholarship; and transportation, materials and other study-related expenses, the latter known as the Maintenance Scholarship.

It is worth noting that all these scholarships are renewable and can be processed online, completely free of charge.