Mi Beca Segura Scholarship MINEDUC Guatemala 2026: Q300/month for Students in Poverty

Mi Beca Segura is the largest conditional cash transfer program at MINEDUC and within Guatemalas social policy. It pays Q300 monthly during the school year (10 months) to families in poverty whose children are enrolled in public schools, conditional on a minimum 80% school attendance. The program aims to reduce school dropout and ease the burden of supplies, transport and food.

Quick summary: Q300/month x 10 months = Q3,000/year per eligible student. Free to apply. Main call January-February at the childs school. Coverage: pre-primary, primary and basicos at public schools. Condition: 80% monthly attendance. Payment via mobile banking to the guardian.

Applies to: families in poverty/extreme poverty with children at public schools, prioritizing households of single mothers, girls in rural areas, and municipalities with chronic malnutrition.

What is Mi Beca Segura?

Mi Beca Segura is the Guatemalan States flagship conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, administered by MINEDUC in coordination with MIDES (Ministry of Social Development) and SESAN (Food Security Secretariat). It replaced and consolidated earlier programs like Mi Bono Seguro, Mi Beca Segura Adolescente, and Bolsa Solidaria, unifying criteria and modernizing payment via mobile banking.

Payment structure:

The program is renewable each school year as long as the family continues to qualify and the student keeps attendance.

Who qualifies for Mi Beca Segura?

Eligibility combines socioeconomic status + grade level + geography:

Family (any of these):

• Household classified as poor or extremely poor under the MIDES index
• Single mother as head of household
• Family in a priority municipality (high chronic malnutrition rate)
• Indigenous rural family

Student (all of these):

• Enrolled at a public school (not private)
• In pre-primary, primary or basicos (1st through 3rd basico)
• Age between 5 and 16 years (some over-age exceptions)
• Maintains 80% minimum monthly attendance

Location (priority but not exclusive):

• Corredor Seco municipalities (Chiquimula, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Zacapa, El Progreso)
• Indigenous municipalities of Alta Verapaz, Quiche, Huehuetenango
• Urban areas with high violence (some zones of Guatemala City, Mixco, Villa Nueva)

Does not qualify:

• Families with verified income above the poverty threshold
• Students in private schools (a separate “Mi Bolsa Segura” program exists for specific cases but is not Mi Beca Segura)
• Students in diversificado (4to-6to bachillerato): for that level there are other programs like Beca Solidaria

Full requirements

a) Valid DPI of the parent or guardian filing.

b) Enrollment certificate of the student at the public school for the current school year.

c) Address proof (electricity, water or municipality bill) issued in the last 3 months.

d) Student CUI — DPI if 12 or older, or RENAP/school-issued CUI if younger.

e) Active mobile phone number registered to the guardian, for mobile banking enrollment.

f) Poverty certificate or socioeconomic evaluation card (issued by the school or MIDES).

g) Mi Beca Segura application form (provided by the school).

Tip: If your child has never had a CUI, the school can help you process one at RENAP — its free and required for the program. Without a CUI the student cannot be enrolled.

Step-by-step process

1. Wait for the school announcement. Generally in January-February, at the start of the school year, the principal or assigned teacher announces the program enrollment. Some schools hold a parent meeting specifically for it.

2. Request the form from the principal. The form is filled by hand with student and guardian data: names, CUI, address, phone, school, grade, section.

3. Attach the documents. Copy of guardian DPI, copy of student CUI, address proof, enrollment certificate. The school checks completeness.

4. The school submits the list to MINEDUC. The principal consolidates all forms and uploads to the MINEDUC system. This includes coordination with MIDES to validate socioeconomic status.

5. MINEDUC and MIDES validate. The system cross-references with the MIDES unified beneficiary registry, the municipal poverty index, and tax records. Validation takes 3-6 weeks.

6. A mobile banking account is assigned. If accepted, MINEDUC opens a Banrural mobile banking account (or equivalent) in the guardians name. You receive an SMS or call with activation instructions.

7. First transfer arrives. Q300 deposited to the mobile account. You can withdraw at any Banrural agent, ATM, or use it for payments.

8. Each month, the school reports attendance. If the student maintains >=80% attendance for the month, the next months transfer releases automatically. If not, it is suspended.

9. Annual renewal. Each school year (January-February), enrollment is renewed by validating that the student is still enrolled and the family still qualifies.

Cost and time

Simple calculator — what a typical family receives:

Budget tip: The depositary is the parent/guardian, not the student. The account is in the adults name, but the money is meant to support the childs education (supplies, transport, food, footwear).

Common errors / why applications get rejected

The five most frequent rejection or suspension causes:

1. Address proof expired or missing. The bill must be from the last 3 months and in the guardians or a direct relatives name. Older bills are not accepted.

2. Student CUI not registered with RENAP. If the child was never registered at RENAP, they do not appear in the system. Process the CUI first (its free) and then enroll in the program.

3. Family not classified as poor. If tax records or SAT cross-reference show income above the threshold, MIDES rejects. In that case you can request a socioeconomic review by submitting a sworn statement.

4. Attendance below 80%. If the student misses more than 20% of the month (~5 days in a 22-day month), the next months transfer is suspended. Recovery requires improved attendance and, in repeated cases, an interview with the principal.

5. Phone number changed without updating. The mobile banking system is tied to the registered number. If you change SIM or phone and dont update, activation SMS fail and payment is delayed.

If rejected or suspended:

• The school can request a review at MINEDUC with justification
• You are entitled to a quarter of grace for documented health reasons (medical certificate)
• If it was a data error, you correct it with the principal and the program restarts the next month

Legal basis

• Decree 12-91 — National Education Law: Articles 33-35 oblige the State to financially support students in poverty.
• Government Agreement 56-2024 — Mi Beca Segura Regulations: governs operations, criteria and payment mechanism.
• Ministerial Agreement 35-2005: empowers MINEDUC units to administer conditional transfers.
• Social Policy and Anti-Poverty Strategy: general framework of the Cabinet for Social Affairs.

Mi Beca Segura is a right, not a charity — if your family qualifies and meets the conditions, you are entitled to the transfer. If a school refuses to enroll you without justification, you can report it to the Human Rights Ombudsman (PDH) or call 1547.

Related procedures

• MINEDUC Hub — Education Procedures — every Ministry of Education procedure
• School Records Certificate MINEDUC — for enrollment and other procedures
• Studies Equivalency MINEDUC — for returnees or foreign studies
• USA-Guatemala Studies Equivalency MINEDUC — diaspora-specific
• Teacher Registration MINEDUC — for education professionals
• Guatemala DPI ID — required for guardian

Official links

• MINEDUC — Scholarships and Programs
• MINEDUC — Main site
• MIDES — Unified Beneficiary Registry
• SESAN — Poverty and malnutrition mapping
• MINEDUC phone: 1547 (free hotline)
• MIDES phone: 2502-7100