The Rita Cetina Universal Scholarship Card distribution is set to benefit hundreds of thousands of students across Mexico, providing much-needed financial assistance to families trying to keep their children enrolled in public education. The government confirms the distribution process will begin on January 5, 2024, targeting families with children registered in preschool, primary, or secondary schools.
Each eligible family is entitled to 1,900 pesos bimonthly, with additional support of 700 pesos for every secondary school student within the household. The distribution will require specific documentation, including valid identification, proof of address, and relevant birth certificates.
According to the National Coordination of Scholarships for Well-Being (CNBB), it’s imperative for families to pick up their scholarship cards on the designated days. If they miss the scheduled pickup, they will need to wait for another appointment.
The rollout will take place mainly from February 17 to March 31 across various secondary schools, as highlighted by the local reports from the State of Mexico. The goal for this state was to register 763,492 students, out of which 683,488 successfully completed their registration process online before the end of December last year. Unfortunately, 80,004 students were unable to register due to issues such as missing documentation or problems with their Unique Population Registry Code (CURP).
For those who could not manage their registration online, schools will provide facilities to assist parents and guardians fill out registration forms and collect the necessary documents during the distribution days. The aim is to make the process seamless so families can access the cards representing financial support for their education.
The financial investment by the government for this initiative is expected to surpass 1.5 billion pesos throughout the State of Mexico, funding the distribution of approximately 549,698 scholarship cards to secondary school students who were previously without such aid.
Each family receiving the Rita Cetina Scholarship will not only gain from the base amount but will also benefit from supplements for additional students, facilitating economic relief for families with multiple school-age children. This support is especially significant as it aims to reduce the financial burden on families, allowing students to continue their education without interruption.
The scheduled turnouts for the card collection are set to run until the end of March, with the expectation for initial payment to begin thereafter. Specifically, families receiving their cards during February can anticipate their first payment reflected by March 15, 2024.
Alongside the Rita Cetina scholarship distributions, additional scholarship programs are becoming available. This includes the Benito Juárez Universal Scholarship for higher secondary education, which will open for registrations from February 5 to 28, 2024, via online platforms.
Another program, Jóvenes Escribiendo el Futuro, is also set to begin its registration for higher education students from February 10 to 28, 2024.
Humberto Morales, the head of the scholarship coordination for the well-being initiative, urges families to be proactive about picking up their scholarship cards and to stay informed on registration schedules for other educational support programs. The government's commitment to education remains steadfast, with efforts directed toward relieving financial strain on families and ensuring accessible education for all.
While this initiative opens doors for many families, the responsibility lies with them to navigate the documentation requirements accurately. With support available for questions, interested families can direct inquiries to the CNBB at their dedicated help number between weekday morning and evening hours.