Analysis of the Ser Pilo Paga Scholarship: Notes on Inequities and Social Class Boundaries in Colombia

Abstract

The framework of the Colombian Ser Pilo Paga program was established on the basis of certain state policies aimed at lower-middle and lower-income social sector inclusion in higher education. This program was developed with specific attention on social and economic aspects. Social class tension is associated to the fact that many of the students selected for this program ultimately chose to attend private universities (including elite institutions). The study methodology is conducive to obtaining a glimpse at the resulting tension based on interviews and eyewitness accounts from scholarship recipients interviewed by researchers and the media. The author concludes by reflecting on the conditions and pressure aligned to social inequities at schools in Colombia from a social class perspective and questions a program that could and should have been fairer and more efficient.