To provide opportunities for greater equity to Afro-Colombian, Raizal and Palenquero students, the National Government, through the Ministry of the Interior, strengthened the Special Fund for Black Communities administered by ICETEX with $ 18 billion. This was announced from Quibdó, the Minister of the Interior, Daniel Palacios Martínez and the president of ICETEX, Manuel Acevedo Jaramillo when launching the new call that will increase access to higher education for students from these ethnic groups.

“This new call becomes more opportunities for our young people. From the National Government we allocate 18 billion to strengthen the Black Communities Fund and thus be able to reach more students in the country, registrations are already open and will go until August 8. The message is clear, we want to bet on it and work hand in hand with the youth who want to build, who want to listen, who want to propose, ”said Interior Minister Daniel Palacios Martínez.

The Special Fund will select in this new version 2,900 students from Afro-Colombian, Raizales and Palenqueras populations from all over the country. For this call, the Ministry of the Interior added the resources that will make it possible to assign 400 more places than the previous year.

«With this new call we reaffirm the commitment so that more Colombians live the experience of higher education, and can advance in the construction of their life project and impact their environment and territory,» said the president of ICETEX, Manuel Acevedo, from Quibdó at the launch of this call.

Undergraduate and graduate students have the possibility to advance their studies and have their credit 100% forgivable for payment of tuition and / or support by meeting some requirements.

Registration will be open from July 1 to August 8 through the ICETEX website, at https://portal.icetex.gov.co/Portal/Home/HomeEstudiante/fondos-en-administracion-Listado/fondo-comunidades-negras

This program seeks to support selected young people to study their undergraduate (technical, technological or university) or postgraduate (specialization, master’s, doctorate or post-doctorate) in the country from the second semester of 2021 with the benefit of 100% forgiveness credit granted, that is to say that said credit should not be reimbursed by meeting these requirements:

• Advance Program Graduation.
• Development and satisfactory completion of a social and academic work in relation to the community it represents.

The financing covers per student for each academic semester three current legal monthly minimum salaries (SMMLV) for the expenses of one or two of the following items: tuition, support, and support for an additional year to complete the degree work.

The Black Communities Fund has already benefited about 30,000 Colombians since its creation and is currently being strengthened thanks to the activities of active listening and construction of proposals with young people and parents that are carried out in the country within the framework of the Pact. Colombia with the youth.

Among the novelties, the call will have the special support of the ICETEX Community to provide prioritized information and advice. In this way, young people will receive guidance through group mentoring for the development of community projects that they must carry out during their academic life and which is a commitment within the social focus of the Fund. This support will be received by expert professionals and other experienced users.

In addition to this, they will have prioritization for the link to the accompaniment processes for permanence, and for access to spaces, calls and opportunities that are given through the ICETEX Community in order to strengthen their academic and professional projection.

Likewise, students will also have priority attention, in a service that today is more diverse and provides solutions in real time through alternatives such as the MODO ON virtual rooms for personalized advice, which can be found here.

To request or access ICETEX services, no intermediary is needed. All ICETEX services are made directly to the entity and are free.

Requirements to enroll:

• Be Colombian and belong to Afro-Colombian, Raizales or Palenqueras populations.
• Lack of sufficient resources to finance higher education.
• That the study program to be carried out or that is being carried out satisfies a need of the region and of the black communities.
• Be enrolled or admitted to an Institution of Higher Education within the term for which the credit is requested (second semester of 2021).
• Present a project or community, social or academic work (that has the endorsement or certification of the grassroots, Afro-Colombian organization or community council), which will be developed during the studies. This project must be original and signed by the applicant.
• Not having been financially supported by this Fund, except for those who have been beneficiaries in technical and technological careers.
• Have your own email and register within the mentioned dates.

The publication of the results of the selected students will take place in two groups. The first on October 8, after which the selected applicants must complete the legalization process on the platform provided by ICETEX between that day and November 8. The second group of results, which will be made up of the people who cover the quota of those who did not pass the legalization phase, will be published on November 12 and the credit legalization stage will take place between that date and December 13.