Scholarship by merit, not location: Mescyt revamps program

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Mescyt) has set out to change its scholarship program to include students from all over the country, ensure that studies correspond to the needs of the market and are awarded based exclusively on merit and academic performance.

“Although Greater Santo Domingo will receive the majority of scholarships this year, educational opportunities will be extended to young people from all provinces,” Franklin García Fermín, Minister of Mescyt, explained to the local press.

He also pointed out that the distribution of the eight thousand scholarships for which there is already a call will be made primarily by academic selection. There are already 55,579 applications registered and, based on a pre-selection, the number has been reduced to 19,318. This work is carried out by Mescyt with qualified technical personnel and the final selection is made by a special commission in which the private sector participates.

García Fermín also referred to the problem of students who, once they have achieved a specialization abroad, choose not to return to the country. He reported that Mescyt has a unit dedicated to monitoring the progress of scholarship students abroad, ensuring that they comply with the study program and then return to the country.

“The rule is that they must stay in the Dominican Republic for at least two years after completing their master’s or doctoral degrees. If they do not wish to return, they will have to repay the value of the scholarships,” he said.

Regarding the placement of graduates in the labor market, Mescyt has prepared an organization and functions manual and created a job exchange.

“We promote meetings with graduates of the scholarship programs in which we receive and analyze feedback, so that we can provide them with guidance,” García Fermín said.