Universities in Chile, Now Open to All, are Unlocking Students' Dreams
At Santo Tomás and others, government-subsidized tuition offers opportunities to disadvantaged students.
Marlén Lefiqueo, part of Chile’s Mapuche indigenous community, rises at 4 am to journey to school. Her home in the countryside of southern Chile is far from Santo Tomás Technical Training Center, where she attends International and Traditional Chilean Gastronomy classes. She walks a long distance through early-morning darkness, often encountering harsh weather, to catch a two-hour bus ride to the university in Temuco city.
"The key is to get an education, no matter what,” says the 20-year-old Lefiqueo. “When it comes to higher education, it's about rising and improving our quality of life. It opens doors to countless job opportunities that are often out of reach with just a high school diploma.” After graduating, her aspiration is to establish her own business in the Mapuche indigenous community.
Financing a tertiary degree was once out of reach for students like Lefiqueo and many families in Chile, where tertiary education tuition has historically been relatively high. Lack of access to a higher education degree has reinforced Chile’s limited opportunities for social mobility; Chile has the second-highest level of social inequality among OECD nations.
"Education used to be considered a privilege, but Chile's government has created initiatives to increase access to higher education," said Alfonso García Mora, IFC’s regional vice-president for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
One of those programs is Gratuidad, which provides free tuition to the most vulnerable students, like Lefiqueo, in certified institutions like Santo Tomás University — which encompasses a Professional Institute and a Technical Training Center. Support from IFC has enabled Santo Tomás to enhance the development of new locations, expand and upgrade existing facilities, and implement new IT infrastructure.
Across Santo Tomas’ 22 nationwide campuses, 69.9 percent of students are beneficiaries of Gratuidad. Campuses include several in rural areas, and a high proportion of Santo Tomás’ 90,000 students come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Video by Erick Escobar.
Opportunities to step up
More access and inclusion in education have paved the way for the first generation of some Chilean families to attend university, like Daniela González, age 23, a Gratuidad beneficiary who is about to graduate from law school. "University life has granted me invaluable opportunities for personal growth. I've developed soft skills like leadership and communication, which are crucial for my career and everyday life," she says.
Daniela González, a Gratuidad beneficiary, is the first person in her family to attend university.
Daniela González, a Gratuidad beneficiary, is the first person in her family to attend university.
Without state support, she wouldn't have had the chance to pursue her studies and become a lawyer. “I would love to defend families and working women and advocate for women's rights in Chile and globally. I believe that the role of women in society is incredibly important and deserves political and legal protection.”
Santo Tomás serves a key role in Chile’s development, according to Juan Pablo Guzmán, National Rector of the Santo Tomás Technical Training Center and Professional Institute. “We are building the future of the country and our society,” says Guzmán. “Given IFC's commitment to impact investments in higher education, it was clear that we had to work together.”
Alfonso García Mora, center, and Juan Pablo Guzmán, right, responding to students' stories at an event at Santo Tomás.
Alfonso García Mora, center, and Juan Pablo Guzmán, right, responding to students' stories at an event at Santo Tomás.
Challenging inequality
More than 290,000 students have graduated from Santo Tomás in 40 years. Throughout this period, the democratization of higher education has played a pivotal role in promoting social mobility and dismantling barriers that previously impeded the progress of marginalized communities in the country.
The government's social expenditures since the 1990s have been aimed at addressing this inequality, and the ratio of total income between the richest 20 percent and the poorest 20 percent decreased from 14 to 7.6. Despite notable advancements in poverty alleviation through social policies, like education, about 2.5 million Chileans still live in poverty, and the nation continues to grapple with persistently high inequality and limited social mobility.
"Chile's investment in higher education is not merely a commitment to the present; it's a bold investment in the future. As we witness the transformative power of education, we reinforce our dedication to nurturing talent, driving innovation, and shaping a future where Chile thrives on the global stage,” adds García Mora.
"I dream of pursuing a career in academia, becoming a professor, and dedicating myself to mental health research." — Javiera Nuñez (29), a psychology student.
"I dream of pursuing a career in academia, becoming a professor, and dedicating myself to mental health research." — Javiera Nuñez (29), a psychology student.
"Studying at university has transformed me in the sense that I'm not just striving to excel academically or become a skilled professional, but also to develop as a good person, to act with integrity and truth." — Jarold López (24), a law student.
"Studying at university has transformed me in the sense that I'm not just striving to excel academically or become a skilled professional, but also to develop as a good person, to act with integrity and truth." — Jarold López (24), a law student.
Felipe Erices, an Engineering in Business Administration student and a father to a one-year-old, shoulders the responsibility of managing his family business — their only source of income.
Felipe Erices, an Engineering in Business Administration student and a father to a one-year-old, shoulders the responsibility of managing his family business — their only source of income.
A 'transformative' time
Francisco Videla’s experience at Santo Tomás, where he graduated 15 years ago, offered him the opportunity to improve his life, he says. “My experience at Santo Tomás was transformative,” he reflects. He attended university before Gratuidad was available, so, like many Chileans, he relied on a student loan from a commercial bank.
As an academic and an entrepreneur, Videla values the education he received as well as the diversity among students. “I realized that my classmates came from varied backgrounds—some with resources, some without, and some first-generation students from different regions across the country. This diversity taught me invaluable lessons about seeing things from different perspectives [and that] there isn't just one path to success. [My education] pushed me to think out of the box.”
This has been the mission of Santo Tomás all along, says Guzmán. “Education, quality education, affordable education, is the basis for a healthy society—a society with coexistence, justice, and truly equal opportunities”.
