With an investment of more than COP$1.5 billion, the Soto Norte Project has guaranteed university scholarships to 57 youths from Soto Norte

• The Soto Norte Project allocated more than COP$1.5 billion so that young high school graduates from five municipalities in the province of Soto Norte had no excuse to finish their high school and continue with their undergraduate studies.
• On Saturday, December 3, the First Meeting of Scholars was held at the Guatiguara Branch of the Universidad Industrial de Santander (Industrial University of Santander).

Bucaramanga, December 3, 2022 – With an investment that exceeds COP$1.5 billion, through the ‘Mi Beca‘ (‘My Scholarship‘) program, the Soto Norte Project has guaranteed the higher education studies of 57 young people from strata 1, 2 and 3 of the municipalities of California, Surata, Tona, Charta and Matanza.

Thanks to the good score obtained in the Saber 11 (SAT equivalent) tests, each of them had the opportunity to choose a professional career in any of the public and private institutions in the country, without having to worry about the economic resources needed to pay for it and/or to guarantee their permanence in the program.

"Each of them has been granted significant financial support consisting of the handover of 2.2 legal current minimum monthly salaries for tuition and 1.5 legal minimum monthly salaries in force for support during each of the training semesters. For this, the Soto Norte Project signed an agreement with Icetex that already shows results", said Heidy Ovalle, social manager.

Among the most desired careers for these young people, who will help build a better future for the province of Soto Norte, are Civil Engineering, Law, Languages, Psychology, Systems Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering and Social Work, among others.

Sergio Andres Gelvez Rojas, one of the beneficiaries, said that thanks to this support he was able to study Environmental Engineering at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Pontifical Bolivarian University). In addition, the company received him for his internship and, subsequently, to hire him for the team of professionals working in the area of basic sanitation.

“This program helped me a lot to make my professional life. The Universidad Pontificia (Pontifical University) Bolivariana had high costs that would have been almost impossible to assume. They covered 100% of the entire tuition, plus an aid for lodging and food", he said.