Guerrero, Gabriela; Vanessa Rojas, Santiago Cueto, Jimena Vargas y Sayuri Leandro (2019). Implementación de programas de inclusión social en territorios con población vulnerable. ¿Cómo está cambiando Beca 18 la vida de los y las jóvenes del valle de los ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro (VRAEM)? Documento de Investigación, 96. Lima: GRADE.

Beca 18 is the most important human capital development program in the country; however, little is known yet about its implementation and impact. This qualitative study conducted between 2015 and 2016 in the district of Pangoa (Junín), aims to analyze the implementation of Beca 18 in the VRAEM territory; and from thereon, young people´s opportunities to access higher education and the influence of Beca 18 on the life of youth living in the VRAEM territory. To address these objectives, qualitative data from the young Lives Study is used. We have examined data from a subsample of the cases that have been participating in Young Lives since 2002 in the district of Pangoa.

The study found that Beca 18 is a highly valued in Pangoa. Young people, parents, local authorities and members of civil society perceived that the program contributes to young people’s educational and professional opportunities. However, this paper also identifies a number of aspects in the design and implementation of the program that need to be improved. These include the following (among others): supporting young people receiving the scholarship in their migration to the cities and the process of adapting to higher education institutions; promoting the social inclusion of these young men and women in their universities or technical institutes, avoiding their stigmatization; and also rethinking the program’s accountability mechanisms.

In relation to the second objective, the longitudinal analysis reveals that Beca 18 improves young people from the VRAEM territory’s access to higher education. However, the most important contribution of the program is that it offers them the opportunity to finish their higher education studies without uncertainties. Moreover, the program seems to improve young people’s educational and work aspirations, and also contributes to keep VRAEM’s youth away from local threats such as early pregnancies, drug trafficking, etc.