Colfuturo announced that its Programa Crédito Beca will enter a new phase without financial support from the National Government starting in 2026. President Gustavo Petro backed the decision, arguing that the entity is private and has mainly benefited high socioeconomic strata in major cities. The program has enabled nearly 25,000 Colombians to pursue master's and doctoral degrees at top universities worldwide.
Colfuturo's Programa Crédito Beca (PCB), the largest of its kind in Latin America, will face significant changes starting in 2026 following the withdrawal of the National Government's 40% contribution. The entity, which relied on state funding for over two decades, confirmed that the 2025 promotion was the last to receive public resources. Together, Colfuturo and the State invested US$892 million to select nearly 25,000 Colombians who returned to contribute to national development.
President Gustavo Petro defended the measure on his X account, stating that "Colfuturo is a private entity that has only delivered scholarships to people from strata four, five, and six, only in Bogotá and Medellín. Only 3,000 per year." He added that the Ministry of Sciences, a public entity, now administers scholarships for over 7,000 students from across the country in professions needed for Colombia, focused on master's and doctoral programs.
The decision responds to criticism from presidential precandidate Vicky Dávila, who called it a negative "Christmas gift" from the government. Jerónimo Castro Jaramillo, Colfuturo's executive director, explained that the last government disbursement in 2025 was $64 billion (about US$15 million). From 2017 to 2025, the program supported 17,000 students with US$620 million, 40% from the State via MinCiencias.
Colfuturo is redesigning the program to seek new funding sources, possibly through credit, which could reduce its scale and make conditions less generous. Beneficiary selection will maintain the same criteria but with higher cutoff lines; this year, 1,200 were chosen from 5,000 applications. The entity assures it will fulfill all acquired commitments and announce details in the first months of 2026.
