Quality in Higher Education and Social Inclusion in Peru: the challenges of Beca 18

Jos Tvara1
Milos Lau2

Abstract
Promoting access to quality in higher education for low income students with strong
academic potential, has been regarded as a key policy objective in a number of countries.
The paper provides an assessment of the Beca18 Program (PB18) -- the largest publiclyfunded scholarship program for undergraduates that has been implemented so far in Peru
within a context that features weakening public universities, a very rapid expansion of forprofit colleges and a precarious regulatory framework with regards to quality assurance.
The first section examines the recent evolution of the higher education system in Peru,
presents a typology which is built on quality indicators, ownership and governance
regimes, and provides an explanation which accounts for the varying shares of each type of
university in undergraduate enrollment and recipients of B18 scholarships. Given the nature
of the system and particularly the lack of incentives of more selective universities to enroll
PB18 students, lower quality for-profit colleges tend to attract growing numbers of these
students. This result suggests that PB18 is maximizing the number of scholarship
recipients, which in turn enhances the programs political impact and support for the
government.
Thus, to the extent that PB18 veers away from its purpose of providing quality higher
education to traditionally excluded students, it is not contributing to neutralize the trends of
the Peruvian system of higher education to reproduce and even exacerbate social
inequalities. We conclude identifying the main challenges this program faces, and drawing
some lessons on the current process of reform in higher education.

1
2

Profesor y Director Acadmico de Economa de la Pontificia Universidad Catlica del Per (PUCP)
Profesor del Departamento de Ciencias de la Gestin de la PUCP.

Calidad en la educacin superior e inclusin social en el Per: los retos del programa
Beca 18
La promocin de oportunidades de acceso a educacin superior de calidad para jvenes
excluidos en situacin de pobreza ha constituido un objetivo central de las polticas
pblicas en muchos pases. El trabajo analiza la implementacin del programa Beca 18
(PB18) el ms grande financiado por el Estado peruano - en un contexto de
debilitamiento de la universidad pblica, de rpida expansin de la educacin privada con
fin lucro, y de precariedad en el aseguramiento de la calidad.
El trabajo presenta la evolucin del sistema universitario peruano, construye una tipologa
basada en criterios de calidad, rgimen societario y gobernanza, y examina la participacin
relativa de cada tipo de universidad en la matrcula total y en las becas asignadas por PB18.
Dadas las caractersticas del sistema y, en particular, la falta de incentivos en las
universidades ms selectivas para atraer estudiantes becados, se observa que universidades
con fin de lucro y de menor calidad tienden a reclutar un mayor nmero de becarios de
PB18. Este resultado sugiere que PB18 se orienta a maximizar el nmero de becas, lo que
eleva su impacto y el apoyo poltico al gobierno.
Como resultado, al desviarse del objetivo de asegurar el acceso de estudiantes
tradicionalmente excluidos a una formacin de calidad, PB18 no contribuye a contrarrestar
las tendencias del sistema de educacin superior a reproducir e incluso exacerbar las
desigualdades sociales existentes. El trabajo concluye identificando las principales
lecciones y desafos que enfrentan las actuales reformas de la educacin superior en el
Per.