Peruvian Students Hold Vigil Protesting National Scholarship Program Reforms

• Students, scholarship recipients, and alumni are holding a permanent vigil at the Ministry of Education in Lima to protest proposed reforms to the National Scholarship Program (PRONABEC).
• Protesters demand the immediate cancellation of a draft amendment to Law No. 29837, arguing it restricts educational access and penalizes students.
• The government recently extended the public consultation period for the reform by 30 days, a move critics characterize as an insufficient delay tactic.

Concerns Over Proposed Reforms

• The new regulations impose strict limitations, including restrictions on free expression, prohibitions against repeating courses or changing majors, and the removal of psychological support services.
• Student leaders describe the current "reengineering" of the program as a systematic "purge" of scholarship recipients.
• Activists highlight that approximately 38,000 promised scholarships never materialized, leading to budget cuts that impact both public and private universities.

Protest and Support

• The FRENABEP (National Front of Scholarship Recipients of Peru) reports that the 30-day public consultation was poorly publicized, limiting transparency.
• Student federations from major institutions, including the Catholic University and Cayetano Heredia University, have joined the movement.
• Protesters intend to continue their vigil until the current administration or the incoming government (taking office July 28) officially scraps the resolution.