Founded in 2004, BECA (which means "scholarship" in Spanish) is a registered 501(c)(3) that pays college tuition for Bolivian students from low-income families (less than $300 per month). BECA is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah and its president and founder is Barbara Pence.

The first bachelor degree graduate, Alexander Mustacedo, completed his 6-year program in Information Systems in September of 2010. As of 2012 there are five graduates (licenciados) from BECA. Another three will graduate in 2013 and another 4 between 2014 and 2015.

Students have studied Medicine, International Relations, Human Resources, Marketing, Petroleum Engineering, Financial Accounting, and a variety of other majors. BECA cooperates with high-quality local (Bolivian) universities to guarantee that students remain in their home country to contribute to their families and Bolivia and allows students to select the major of their choice.

BECA students are guided by local counselors and provided with job placement assistance.

A local (Bolivian) BECA Board of Directors, headed by Ms. Monina Kellembergher and U.S. officers are non-paid; thus 100% of funds raised are directed to tuition and books for selected students, who must maintain a 70% average to remain eligible for continued support.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Congratulations to two more BECA graduates

   We are pleased to announce that two more BECA students have successfully passed the final oral comprehensive exam required for graduation from the UTEPSA university in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  They are Cirila Sandoval Escalante with a degree in Financial Auditing and Lidia Figueroa Sejas with a degree also in Financial Auditing. 
   Congratulations to them both for completing all of the hard work and sacrifice required to achieve their university degrees, called a Licenciatura, roughly equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree in the U.S.  It is a 6-year process in the Bolivian university system.  We also congratulate their families whose support was equally important to their success.
   Their graduation brings to 7 the number of BECA students graduated from the university since 2007.  Another student, Gimena Loyaza, is scheduled to take the final oral exam in June. 
 BECA Founder Dr, Harold Koch with Lincenciada Lidia Figueroa, right, at a reception for BECA students and their families in November 2013. At left is Alejandra Jablonski, a BECA student in her third year of studies at the UTEPSA University. 

.Licenciada Cirila Sandoval with Lic. Eduardo Montalvo, Director of Student Services, UTEPSA University, Nov. 2012, at reception for BECA students and their families.
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