New higher education opportunities: 21 scholarship recipients join Generación A, the education fund created by Grupo Argos and EIA, EAFIT and CES Universities

• With this new cohort, following applications from more than 1,000 young people across 69 municipalities in Antioquia, Generación A now supports 39 scholarship recipients who will have the opportunity to study at three of the country’s leading universities: EIA, EAFIT and CES.
• The program aims to foster social mobility in Colombia, at a time when, of the nearly 450,000 high school graduates each year, only 4 out of 10 go on to higher education, and just 4.4% are young people from socioeconomic strata 1 and 2.
• To date, the fund—structured as an endowment—has reached an investment of COP 40 billion: COP 20 billion contributed by Grupo Argos Foundation, and an equivalent contribution from the three universities through the payment of tuition for the beneficiary students.

Grupo Argos Foundation, in partnership with EIA, EAFIT and CES Universities, announced the selection of 21 new Generación A scholarship recipients—the first endowment for higher education in Antioquia’s history. Today, the Fund includes an investment of COP 20 billion from Grupo Argos Foundation, along with a contribution from these universities equivalent to 50% of the beneficiaries’ tuition. With this second cohort, the alliance reaffirms its commitment to expanding access to quality education for talented young people in the department who face economic barriers.

“Generación A was created a year ago, as part of Grupo Argos’ 90th anniversary celebration, and in response to a central challenge for Antioquia and for Colombia: building a more equitable society by connecting young people with educational opportunities at three of Colombia’s leading universities. At Grupo Argos, we are convinced that transformation is built through knowledge—and when we invest in education, we are also investing in the country’s future.”

Jorge Mario Velásquez
President of Grupo Argos

Building on the endowment model—a structure in which an initial capital contribution is invested to generate annual returns that fund a set number of education scholarships in perpetuity—the program seeks to provide higher-education scholarships primarily to young people from socioeconomic strata 1 and 2, with two core objectives:

• Fostering social mobility, recognizing that in Colombia young people with higher education earn, on average, 50% more than those with only secondary education.
• Strengthening the country’s human capital, understanding that higher education can increase it by 30% to 60%.

Generación A was created in a clear context: in Colombia, around 450,000 students graduate from high school each year, but only about 40% go on to higher education. Of that share, just 4.4% corresponds to young people from strata 1 and 2 who are able to enroll immediately in a higher-education institution. These figures show that human capital development is constrained by access, not by a lack of talent.

“Here there are very talented people, and I’m proud to be surrounded by them. It’s truly beautiful when so many of us come together with a shared purpose to celebrate, today, having a scholarship like this not only means the opportunity to become the best version of ourselves, but also to help others in the future. Thank you for the opportunity.”

Karla Rosxana Palacios Blandón
Generación A Scholarship Recipient

Through Generación A, Grupo Argos Foundation and its academic partners are consolidating a long-term commitment that goes beyond individual support: each scholarship represents a family and community life project moving forward, and the beginning of something very significant in the story of these 21 new recipients, and in building a more equitable Antioquia with greater opportunities.