FANTEL scholarship shouldn't be given for abroad studies

As a result of the privatization of public telecommunications services in El Salvador in early 1990’s, Salvadorian Government established an educational fund called FANTEL scholarship, a long term loan-based deal that was intended to supply college tuition and monthly payments for high school graduates with outstanding scores and high potential that, otherwise, wouldn’t be able to cover their educative expenses into the country or abroad.

Because FANTEL scholarship administrates public funds, I think it should be focused on helping students coming from lower economic status, so that they could have the opportunity to access superior education and get a college degree, a good job and break the poverty loop.

Nevertheless, I’ve noticed many cases in which FANTEL scholarship has been given to students whose families actually were able to cover their educational expenses within the country, taking away the opportunity for that benefit to be conceded to other students that really needed it.

Moreover, there are many other cases in which the funds were (and still are) given for abroad studies, which I think is wrong.

On the first hand, it seems to me that most majors that applicants choose for study abroad have few or practically no demand into local labor market, in which case the educational investment will make no sense (if you expect the further graduate will use his/her abilities to improve our country).

On the other hand, according many surveys and daily-basis perception, most Salvadorans want to emigrate. Young talented people are no exceptions, and they're willing to turn the scholarship into an opportunity to establish themselves in developed countries. And that would be fine if the money didn't come from an underdeveloped country faint budget.

Let's face it: there’s no point in providing financial support without reasonable expectation on benefit return, speaking from the point of view of improving our country.

As I said above, I think FANTEL scholarship should be used to give higher educational opportunities for the poor, allowing them to take steps upwards the social ladder.