Scholarships in Uruguay
What kind of university scholarships are offered in Uruguay?
When you finish your secondary studies, you will surely find yourself with many concerns to resolve. Among the main ones, you may come across the big question: "Will I study for a degree or won't I?", because while some people seem to have their future perfectly planned, others face the uncertainty of not knowing what tomorrow will bring.
If you happen to be in that last group, the first thing you need to start defining is what financing options you have—in other words, whether or not you will be able to afford your higher education. Keep in mind that many times, even if you decide to study at a public university, you will have unavoidable expenses for study materials, enrollment, exams, transportation, and other costs, so you will need a certain ability to pay when you begin your chosen degree.
Before you get discouraged and believe you cannot begin your university path, remember that there are various financing methods for your studies, and it is not always the student who pays for their own education. Have you thought about applying for a scholarship?
In Uruguay, as in the rest of Latin America, scholarships are diverse. Some come from the private sector, from companies that decide to implement their own programs in order to benefit young students. Others are actually charitable assistance from nonprofit organizations or foundations that advocate supporting students with fewer resources. Then there are also the scholarships offered by each university, which any student meeting minimal requirements can apply for.
National scholarships in Uruguay
It could be said that there is no national scholarship program in Uruguay, at least not as in the cases of Argentina, Chile, or Peru, for example. In Uruguay, students obtain scholarships directly from the institution where they study their degree; well-known examples include the scholarship programs of the Universidad de la República and the Universidad Católica del Uruguay, the latter being a private institution.
But in any case, what does exist in the country is a Fondo de Solidaridad, which is precisely in charge of providing financial aid to students throughout Uruguay, and which in some way represents a national scholarship program, as the institutions that make it up are: Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Administración Nacional de Educación Pública, Universidad de la República, Caja de Jubilaciones y Pensiones de Profesionales Universitarios, Caja Notarial de Seguridad Social, Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay and Agrupación Universitaria del Uruguay.
The mission of this Fondo de Solidaridad is to ensure that more and more low-income young people, who come from homes and families that do not have sufficient means to support them financially, can access tertiary higher education study programs.
The fund offers two scholarship types: half scholarship or full scholarship. This will depend, of course, on the student's average. If the student has an average of between 40 and 60%, they will receive a half scholarship; if the student has an average equal to or greater than 60%, they will receive the full scholarship.
Students who are entering a higher education study program will be able to access the full scholarship. They may also participate in the benefit as long as they are no older than 25 years of age.
In the event that the student is already pursuing a degree and wants to enroll in the program for the first time, they may participate, but the maximum age to do so will be 28 years. This same requirement applies to students who were scholarship recipients, but later stopped receiving it and now want to obtain it again. For their part, those who are interested in renewing the benefit may not be older than 32 years.
Another important requirement to keep in mind to obtain a scholarship from the Uruguayan Fondo de Solidaridad is that only those who are pursuing degrees at the Universidad de la República and tertiary-level courses at UTU will be beneficiaries of the program.
The scholarship provides maximum financial support of $5,638 Uruguayan pesos per month. Registration is done online and free of charge.
Scholarships by universities
The Universidad de la República has its own scholarship system, aimed at students with good academic performance who are going through an unfavorable economic situation.
There are three categories for university scholarships, which are determined by age. Incoming students can access the scholarship as long as they are no older than 25. Students who are already in a UDELAR study program, but who have never received the benefit, can obtain it if they are no older than 27. Returning students, meanwhile, can receive the scholarship again until they turn 32.
The university provides food scholarships, transportation scholarships, financial support scholarships, its own housing scholarships and housing scholarships under an agreement with the Ministerio de Vivienda Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente.
Students can apply for these scholarships at the Bienestar Universitario department of the Universidad de la República.
The Universidad ORT offers various types of scholarships depending on students' academic performance and background. For example, the Academic Excellence Scholarships and the scholarships for students from the interior of the country are two of the available options. This institutional scholarship system covers the full cost of each recipient's university studies.
The Universidad Católica del Uruguay offers partial scholarships of 50 and 80%, or scholarships that fund the student's entire degree. This benefit can be obtained by incoming students. This financial aid is known as the Academic Excellence Scholarships and the Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga Scholarships and is awarded every year to young people who meet the established requirements for academic performance and timely enrollment.
