National Government Support to Students
The National Government, through the Ministry of National Education (MEN) and the Department for Social Prosperity (DPS), has been offering a set of support programs for undergraduate students to cover their tuition fees and provide financial assistance for living expenses. Each program has specific regulations that are updated every year or academic period through operational guidelines. These documents establish the conditions for access, duration of support, causes for loss of benefits, and other general aspects of each program.
Below are the Free Tuition Policy program, the Jóvenes en Acción program, and the Generación E program, along with their corresponding regulations.
FREE TUITION
POLICY
The Free Tuition Policy is the mechanism through which the National Government assumes the payment of the regular tuition fees for undergraduate students enrolled in any of the 64 public higher education institutions that have budgetary linkage with the Ministry of National Education and meet the access requirements established in Article 9 of the 2023 Free Tuition Operational Regulations.
Duration of the Benefit
The duration of the benefit is determined according to the number of academic terms required to complete the study program. The Ministry of National Education will calculate the number of terms to be financed based on a formula that considers the following:
- The total number of credits for the program.
- The credits approved by the student in the previous
The average number of credits enrolled per term.
This calculation is performed only once, during the academic term in which the benefit is granted to the student.
Requirements
To be eligible for the Free Tuition Policy, students must meet the following requirements:
- Be enrolled in an undergraduate academic program (technical, technological, or university level) at one of the public higher education institutions listed in these regulations and registered in the SNIES.
- Not hold a university professional degree.
- Belong to one of the following groups:
- Socioeconomic strata 1, 2, 3, or without classification.
- Indigenous population.
- Rrom population.
- Black, Afro-Colombian, Raizal, or Palenquero communities.
- Victims of the armed conflict.
- Persons with disabilities.
- Rural communities.
- Persons deprived of liberty.
- Groups A, B, or C of Sisbén IV, in any of its subgroups.
Causes for Termination of the Benefit
- Upon completion of the duration of the benefit according to the regulations.
- When the beneficiary has accessed the Free Tuition Policy with false information or adulterated documents.
- When the student loses their enrollment status in accordance with the internal regulations of the higher education institution.
- When the student obtains a university professional degree.
In the event of the student’s death.
If you require more information you may consult the complete document in the following link:
Previous
Regulations
Program:
Jóvenes en Acción (Youth in Action)
Jóvenes en Acción is a national government program that supports young people in their technical, technological, and/or professional education through the delivery of conditional monetary transfers aimed at improving their skills, social mobility opportunities, and overall well-being. It also provides pedagogical processes to promote and strengthen life skills, helping participants enhance their life projects.
Program:
Generación E
Generación E is a national government program aimed at promoting social transformation and regional development throughout the country by supporting access, retention, and graduation in higher education for young people in conditions of economic vulnerability. Generación E will enable 336,000 young people across the country to enter higher education and have greater opportunities to advance their life projects.
The Generación E program is divided into three components designed to help young people in the country access higher education.
- EQUITY
The Equity component covers 100% of the net value of the regular undergraduate tuition charged by public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for undergraduate programs with current qualified registration (technical, technological, or university level), under any delivery modality (in-person, distance, or virtual).
Operational
Regulations
- EXCELLENCE
This component recognizes the academic merit of high school graduates who have achieved outstanding results in the SABER 11 State Exam.
Operational
Regulations
- TEAM
The National Government, committed to strengthening public higher education, allocated additional operating and investment resources so that, in coordination with public universities and technical, technological, and university institutions, these funds are directed toward improving the quality of the sector.