Scholarships for tuition and living costs

At the UC School of Engineering, we seek to lessen the inequalities of Chile’s educational system. To achieve this goal, talented young individuals without the means to finance their education are provided the opportunity to attend our school and receive the exemplary education that makes our community proud. We also firmly believe that ensuring the enrollment of underprivileged students is not enough. Therefore, we aim to provide the best possible comprehensive support, the hopes of which being that the “university years” will be the best years of our students’ lives and that our students will be able to enjoy and make the most of all available opportunities.

It is within this context that scholarship opportunities, such as Talent and Inclusion, are provided to support underprivileged students from the moment they enroll at the UC School of Engineering. These scholarships help to level the playing field and provide students with new opportunities for personal growth.

Why do these students need financial aid if higher education is now free?

In 2016, Chile enacted the “Free Higher Education Law” to finance the education of the students from the poorest 60% of the population. This means that many students do not receive state support, even when still facing economic difficulties in paying for their studies. This is the case for 31% of UC students who receive scholarships.

Furthermore, the state-supported free education program only covers up to 75% of the tuition for UC Engineering Programs. The Universidad Católica assumes the uncovered tuition for these students.

In addition to assuming the gap in tuition coverage, a significant amount of resources are needed to provide additional support to these students. These additional support initiatives include initial academic leveling courses, psychosocial support during the first years of study, and constant, specialized attention for a number of topics as a result of social backgrounds, such as aiding with transport, food, and lodging costs.

We hope to cover the most urgent economic needs that affect our students, needs that are an added stressor to the academic challenges students must face. Furthermore, many students want to study abroad but fear applying due to a lack of resources for international travel and living. International exchange programs, therefore, are another initiative we seek to economically support.

We have established a Scholarship Fund that covers all of the aforementioned needs. Donors can chose which areas they want to support, including:

Scholarships for tuition

Scholarships for Tuition are applied towards gaps in tuition coverage and towards support initiatives that benefit students in the Talent and Inclusion Program.

Scholarships for living costs

Scholarships for Living Costs are applied towards food, maintenance, and lodging for the most vulnerable students who require immediate support to continue their studies.

Ways to donate

If you have any questions, please contact us by writing to becas@ing.puc.cl or calling +56(2) 23544928- 23544949