Are you a single mother? You can access education in these countries

Scholarships and funding are part of the educational proposals that some Latin governments have to offer to single mothers

In LatinAmerican Post, we are on the side of single mothers. Therefore, below we share some proposals from Latin American governments that allow them to access or finish their educational process.

Leer en español: ¿Eres madre soltera? Así puedes acceder a la educación en estos países

Educational support in Mexico

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), more than half of the adult population has only completed secondary school. That is why it is of great importance that the government stimulates access to education so that young people in the future have the opportunity to have a better quality of life.

Now, if we talk about inclusion, Mexico has an interesting proposal for single mothers who are currently studying. The National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) seeks to strengthen the professional development of this population, making more likely, once they complete their academic period and obtain a degree, to enter the labor market in Mexico.

The scholarship granted by the Government is aimed at women who study in public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), belonging to the National Registry of Scientific and Technological Institutions and Enterprises (RENIECYT) of CONACYT. The educational support includes an aid of $ 3000 Mexican pesos per month, plus $ 2000 Mexican pesos at the beginning of each academic cycle (annual), as indicated by the entity on its website.

To access, you must follow these steps decreed by CONACYT:

• "The application must be submitted by the IES where the applicant is studying.
• For the submission of applications, the IES must request CONACYT an access code to capture the application and attach the required documentation. The process is done exclusively via internet.
• The person must first have a record Curriculum Vitae Unique (CVU) CONACYT. "

The requirements that single mothers must meet range from "being studying undergraduate or technical third level to culminate in a maximum period of 36 months," to "maintain an average of 8.0 during the period covered by the scholarship", says the CONACYT.

Also read: This has been the solidarity of Mexicans with the caravan of Honduran migrants

This is how you can access education in Colombia

In 2016, the educational figures were alarming. As Semana magazine points out, the figures in the Colombian countryside revealed that there was only barely 1% of enrollments in higher education. For this reason, the Colombian government created a program in the Santos’ government, which included single mothers and supports to victims of the armed conflict.

This program, which is supported by the Reparation Fund for Access, Permanence and Graduation of the Victim Population in Higher Education, is a measure of the Ministry of Education in partnership with ICETEX (education bank). The purpose is "to promote access, permanence and graduation in higher education of the victim population".

Thus, both single mothers and victims can access different forms of credit with ICETEX to access higher education. Those who have a "SISBEN (public health insurance) cutoff point, established by the Ministry of National Education", as indicated by the Ministry of Education on its website, will earn the following benefits with the ICETEX:

• Withdrawal of 25% of credit as a sole requirement for graduation
• Support Subsidy
• Rate Subsidy (for interest rate credit not be so high)

However, there are other problems that must be worked on. For example, people who want to study can do it from their regions and do not have to travel hundreds of kilometers to the city. The reason is that this implies additional expenses that block much more access to education. These are some of the challenges that the government of Iván Duque has.

Uruguay: if you cannot finish your studies the government will help you

According to El País of Uruguay, the Central Directive Council of the National Administration of Public Education approved in early 2018 several policies so that both mothers and fathers with children, whether they are single or not, can complete their studies and in this way access to education is not a difficulty.

In addition, we must add that in this country, the Uruguayan has access to education for free in public entities, as explained by the Catholic University of Uruguay in a  report .

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Continuing with what El País reported, among the government initiatives for single mothers to complete their studies are: "flexible hours, support scholarships, distance tutorials and priority when choosing a shift". Regarding the shift, this is an alliance with the National Integrated Care System.

After a pilot test, carried out by the Institute for Children and Adolescents of Uruguay in Young, spaces were made available where parents can leave their children under five years old to be cared for while they are studying.

With the above policies, some Latin American countries demonstrate their commitment to support single mothers in education, who in many cases must refuse the opportunity to study for lack of money, which is an obstacle in their attempt to provide a better quality of life for their children.

LatinAmerican Post | Edwin Guerrero Nova

Translated from “¿Eres madre soltera? Así puedes acceder a la educación en estos países”

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