UNAB Endowment awards 165 new academic excellence scholarships to students for 2024

The UNAB Endowment scholarship students and the winners of the Innovative Entrepreneurship Support Contest experienced a week full of emotions.

The ceremonies were held between January 3 and 5 to award the Endowment UNAB Academic Excellence Scholarship. This benefit aims to cover a percentage of the tuition fees of those students with the best academic performance in their careers and who also require financial support to continue their studies.

This is the second year that this scholarship has been awarded, and this time, it benefited 165 students, of which 71 are new scholarship recipients, and the rest are renewing; that is, they received the scholarship last year and maintained the academic conditions necessary to renew it.

Of this new generation of scholarship recipients, 68% are women, and 100% of the beneficiaries are between the first and sixth income decile. If we consider the renewals, 66% are women.

Thus, seven of every ten new scholarship recipients will attend higher education this year with zero co-payment.

The ceremony at the Santiago Campus also saw the awarding of prizes to the ten winners of the Innovative Entrepreneurship Support Contest, an initiative of the UNAB Endowment that promotes entrepreneurship among students and alumni who aspire to become agents of change. The ten finalists received $2.5 million and a ticket to Boston, the epicenter of innovation, for an immersive experience in technology and entrepreneurship.

During the scholarship award ceremony at the Santiago Campus, UNAB President Julio Castro said, “It is a source of great pride and satisfaction for us to recognize both the academic performance of our students and the creativity of those who lead innovative projects. We want them to feel fully integrated into our university community, since this institution is their university. Our goal with this Endowment is to provide continuous and lasting support, backing their present and future path.” Regarding this initiative, which has been in operation for a year, the President of the Board of Directors of Universidad Andrés Bello, Dr. Juan Antonio Guzmán, said:

«The Endowment is one of our most inspiring and passionate initiatives, as it not only rewards excellent academic performance, but also recognizes and supports enterprising students. It is a tribute to good ideas and effort. We are delighted to be a leader in allocating these significant incentives and scholarships, and we are committed to continue promoting this invaluable opportunity for our university community».

Gonzalo Guzmán, Provost of Universidad Andrés Bello, highlighted the role played by the more than one thousand contributors to this instrument, i.e., people who have made donations, which are directed to the specific scholarship that person chooses.

«Today, our Endowment is strengthened by the support of more than 1,100 donors, including numerous alumni who contribute to this Endowment Reserve Fund and are joining us at this ceremony. We would like to recognize their invaluable contribution to this project and invite them to continue collaborating for its continued growth and success,» he said.

During this event, Guzmán highlighted UNAB’s invaluable contribution to the education of its students through scholarships and student benefits:

«This program complements our extensive scholarship plan, currently benefiting more than 35 thousand students. To date, more than 80% of daytime undergraduate students receive some aid from U. Andrés Bello. However, today, we celebrate the 71 new students who join this benefit for the first time in our Endowment».

The UNAB Endowment is an endowment fund that seeks to project UNAB’s mission in the long term, allocating the returns on its investments to scholarships for students and innovative entrepreneurship and applied research projects of members of the university community.

This fund was launched in December 2022 and, to date, has provided scholarships to more than 1,100 students in the three branches of the institution, either through scholarships for tuition, resources for the purchase of materials or transportation, or the delivery of technological elements and implements for students with disabilities.

Academic Excellence Scholarship Award Ceremony Santiago Campus

On Wednesday, January 3, the Endowment scholarship students arrived with their families at the Casona de las Condes Campus, sharing the great emotion they felt upon receiving this benefit. In some cases, this support contributes to improving their quality of life and allows them to concentrate 100% on their studies and the university experience.

«When I opened the mail and saw the words ‘Congratulations, you have been selected for the Academic Excellence Scholarship!’, I was stunned. I was greatly surprised to discover that it was based on my grades, without even having applied. For me, it was a long way off; usually, the college news mentioned Endowment Entrepreneurship Fellowships, and I never imagined that I could receive such a scholarship. I was unaware of its significance then but quickly understood its prestige. I am delighted and grateful for this opportunity,» said third-year Industrial Civil Engineering student Nicolás Tabilo.

Tabilo, who is 27 years old and studies at the Antonio Varas Campus, also commented: «This is a great motivation to continue studying and stay among the top places. I have a great plan in this university, and I want to fulfill it, so this scholarship is a great help to achieve it,» he said.

Valentina Rosen, a third-year Veterinary Medicine student, commented that the arrival of the Academic Excellence Scholarship was very timely because «for several weeks, I actively sought scholarship opportunities that could support my studies. Upon receiving the news that UNAB recognized my dedication and achievements, I felt great joy for my family and myself as we all collaborated to ensure my academic success. We are excited about the opportunity this represents for my educational future.»

Photo: Gerardo Cabrera, 3rd year Medina student and recipient of the Endowment UNAB Academic Excellence Scholarship.

The 20-year-old student from the School of Life Sciences also emphasized that this support «encourages students to continue their growth and improvement in the academic field. It is admirable that our university recognizes the effort and achievements we make because maintaining an outstanding academic performance is not an easy task; it involves sacrifices and giving up other activities to prioritize our studies,» she said.

Gerardo Cabrera, a third-year medical student at the República Campus, said, «When I received the e-mail notifying me that I had a scholarship, I ran to tell my family. I am very happy because this scholarship will allow me to study with peace of mind and be more concerned about my studies than the resources to pay my tuition, which gives me an encouraging peace of mind».

Cabrera, 26 years old and originally from Venezuela, who also placed second in his class during his time at UNAB, emphasized how important it is for him to receive the Academic Excellence Scholarship because «it is an award that values my perseverance and dedication. It recognizes the constant effort I have invested in my studies and clinical practices,» he said proudly.

Award Ceremony Viña del Mar Headquarters

For the Vice President of Universidad Andrés Bello, Viña del Mar Campus, Gerald Pugh, this second awarding of Academic Excellence Scholarships by Endowment, which took place on Thursday, January 4, 2024, is a clear reflection of UNAB’s commitment to its students, given that this support provides a solid backing that allows them to achieve their goals with confidence and security.

«We are happy to start the year with this positive news, and 24 students from this campus have obtained this benefit. The selected young people were chosen through a rigorous process, distinguishing and providing those who had an outstanding performance during 2023 this necessary incentive that will allow them to move forward in their careers,» said Gerald Pugh.

Photo: Gonzalo Guzmán, Provost U. Andrés Bello, and Gerald Pugh, Vice President of the Viña del Mar Campus, with the 24 new recipients of the UNAB Endowment Academic Excellence Scholarship 2024.

Aletricia Zúñiga, a 22-year-old student in her 4th year of Obstetrics at UNAB, Viña del Mar, shared her excitement: «I was studying for a test when I received the news, and it was very exciting. It gave me more motivation to continue striving at the University. My family is very proud of me, as this scholarship is a great support that UNAB gives us. I am very grateful to everyone who makes this Endowment possible,» she mentioned.

Camilo Maureira, a third-year student in the Sports Coaching career, pointed out that «for many families with more than one child, it is impossible to pay all the expenses involved in pursuing a university degree. Having a budget to pay for transportation, books, or materials used, plus food, in addition to paying the tuition and fees during the year, means a considerable concern in the household economy. I feel fortunate to be one of the scholarship students and to be able to help alleviate some of this burden for my parents,» said the student.

«This scholarship, apart from being a great economic support, also means a recognition of my academic achievements. It is a confirmation that I am on the right path, chose the right career, and will indeed become a good professional,» said Elisa Riquelme, a third-year Psychology student at the UNAB Viña del Mar campus.

Below, check out the gallery of images of the Academic Excellence Scholarship Award Ceremony at UNAB Viña del Mar:

Handover Ceremony Concepción Headquarters

A total of 14 new UNAB Endowment scholarship recipients were invited to be part of the Academic Excellence Scholarship award ceremony at UNAB’s Concepción campus. During the event,  Dr. Carlos González, UNAB Concepción Campus Vice President, highlighted the importance of this benefit, emphasizing its contribution to the fulfillment of one of the purposes of the U. Andrés Bello: to provide more opportunities to students with exceptional university performance.

«This scholarship aims to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship, which is a need of all the youth being educated in universities. This scholarship was designed to help students in different aspects, and the university is proud of this initiative, which invests part of its assets in helping students. The community is happy that the institution allocates resources to support initiatives that complement the academy and make them better students».

Nayaret Vergal, 25 years old and a fourth-year student of Social Work at UNAB Concepción, highlighted the importance of this support by being one of the beneficiaries. «It was very surprising, and I felt very proud of myself. In my family, everyone was euphoric and happy since this achievement represented relief. For us, it means a financial respite that will allow me to finish my studies with peace of mind and concentration in my last year,» she expressed with satisfaction.

In addition, the future Social Worker stated that «this Endowment is phenomenal because the student’s efforts must be reciprocated, which generates motivation and greater commitment to our studies and future profession,” she concluded.

Photo: Mabel Castillo, a dental student at the Concepción Campus, is one of the students who received the Academic Excellence Scholarship from Endowment UNAB. She received her award accompanied by her family members.

Mabel Castillo, a fourth-year dental student at UNAB Concepción, said she felt very fortunate to have received the scholarship. «I feel it is a retribution for the effort I give every day. This means quite a large monthly monetary relief for my family and me. It is necessary to have this support for people who work hard and perform well academically. To the donors of the scholarship, I ask them to continue doing it, and hopefully, others will join in to be able to extend this benefit to more students.»

Elvis Urrutia, the guardian of Paz Urrutia, a third-year Occupational Therapy student at UNAB Concepción, said that the scholarship «rewards her sacrifice; it motivates her to make more effort every day. This was a surprise, and we think it is great that they are looking for these tools to motivate young people now. We are from Los Angeles, and studying here has a significant associated cost, so this scholarship allows us to rest our pockets a little».

Sebastián Poblete, 23, a fourth-year student of Merchant Marine Engineering at the Concepción campus, said he was proud of his achievement during his four years of study. «With this, I can pay my tuition and my fees, but more than anything, I am happy because I can add this achievement to my resume. My family is happy about this achievement, and I believe that this scholarship helps those who make an effort and have the support of the university. I thank the donors for their support, because this way they recognize our effort».