More than 700,000 young people already have free tuition for higher public education

On March 23, the National Government recalled that it has allocated resources of $49 billion for education in Colombia, a fact that, according to them, has transformed the sector and the lives of millions of young people throughout the country. For example, with part of these resources, 700,000 young people have already been able to avoid paying tuition for their higher education in public education.

This was confirmed by the President of the Republic, Iván Duque, at the Workshop Building Country 102 'We Fulfill Valle del Cauca' held this Wednesday, in Pradera.

“Young people in Colombia wanted and claimed access to higher education. We launched 'Generation E', and launched the 'Zero Enrolment' policy; and we, in Colombia, have more than 700,000 young people from strata 1,2 and 3 who are going free to public higher education, the greatest social achievement in education in our country, the most important we have ever achieved,” said the President. He recalled that $4.5 billion has been allocated for this initiative.

The president also announced that this is the Government that has put the most resources into the educational infrastructure, with $4 billion, represented in works delivered in 250 new schools - such as Francisco Antonio Zea, in Pradera, which was delivered this Wednesday - “and we are going for 166 more, between now and August 7”. He reaffirmed that the Government will deliver 12,000 classrooms and progress is being made towards the single day.

He added that more than 600,000 young people graduate with double qualifications, “with relevant training, with training that is oriented towards the demand of the labor market”; 2.5 million children who receive comprehensive early childhood care; more than 107,000 teachers trained in skills to have greater connection with students and 7,000 scholarships all actions, acts of a Government that has kept its promises and continues to build a country.

He indicated that another milestone reached is the expansion of the coverage of the 'Youth in Action' programme. “When our government started, we had only 126,000 young people, who were in 'Youth in Action'. We, in August, will be able to say that we will exceed 700,000 'Young People in Action' in Colombia, who will receive that financial support to be in educational training,” he said.

Finally, the head of state revealed that the program 'A ticket for life' was launched, in conjunction with the ICT Ministry, It consists of awarding 100 scholarships abroad, master's degree, associated with science and technology. “I want to invite young people to apply today for that big call,” he said.

On Icetex, he said that 'a silent revolution' has been developed, where the lowest interest rates in history have been reached, profiles were changed, with the best deadlines in history, and credit conditioned on the capacity of young people.

“And that is very telling, because a strengthened Icetex, without populism and without demagogy, is an Icetex at the service of the student, so that it does not have to be with those eternal debts, hung up all their lives, but they can have the capacity to pay and also the capacity for training,” he said.

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