Government and UCATEBA sign agreement to finance 300 scholarships in the Southern region

Santo Domingo.– The Administrative Ministry of the Presidency and the Technological Catholic University of Barahona (UCATEBA) signed an agreement this Thursday for the financing of 300 university scholarships, destined for young people from the Enriquillo region and the South of the country, as part of the Government's policy to promote higher education as an axis of development and social mobility.

The agreement was signed by the administrative minister of the Presidency, Andrés Bautista García, and the rector of UCATEBA, Reverend Father Marco Antonio Pérez Pérez, during an event that brought together academic authorities, government officials, representatives of the education sector, and media outlets.

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During his words, the rector of UCATEBA expressed his gratitude to President Luis Abinader for the announcement made in August of last year, in the context of the inauguration of the university extension of Pedernales, and valued the political will that allowed the agreement to materialize. He pointed out that, although the region has great human and natural riches, many young people face economic limitations that prevent them from accessing the university, so these scholarships represent a real opportunity to transform life projects. Pérez Pérez assumed the institutional commitment to guarantee transparency, student support, and academic quality, highlighting that UCATEBA, with more than 30 years of presence in the region and an enrollment of over 5,000 students, will work to ensure that scholarships reach those who truly need them. Likewise, he announced the immediate opening of the call for interested young people to apply. For his part, Minister Andrés Bautista affirmed that this agreement transcends the formality of a signature, as it represents a country decision and a clear commitment to education as a tool to reduce inequalities and promote sustainable development in historically marginalized territories. He indicated that the initiative is fully framed within President Abinader's vision of strengthening local capacities and guaranteeing real opportunities for Dominican youth. Bautista explained that, in addition to the financing, the Administrative Ministry of the Presidency will have an active role in the governance, supervision, and monitoring of the scholarship program, through technical teams and evaluation mechanisms that ensure the proper use of public resources and the fulfillment of the commitments made. Likewise, he valued the role of UCATEBA as responsible for the academic training and the monitoring of the performance of the beneficiaries. The agreement includes scholarships for higher technicians, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees, and seeks to directly impact young people from the four provinces of the Enriquillo region and the deep South, territories prioritized by the Government within its balanced development strategy. After the signing of the agreement, both authorities exchanged official documents and took a formal photograph, sealing an alliance that aims to make education the most solid and lasting investment for the future of the South of the Dominican Republic.