With the aim of providing more facilities to students and beneficiaries, the Itaipu Scholarship Unit opened its new headquarters in the Las Mercedes neighborhood of Asunción. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 7am to 12noon and from 1pm to 4pm.
The new headquarters are located on De la Residenta Street No. 814, near Calle Peru, next to the National Library, in the Las Mercedes neighbourhood of Asunción, according to Itaipu.
To provide better access to information and services, the Itaipu Scholarship Unit established the telephone numbers +595 (0) 21 2481710; +595 (0) 21 2481102; and +595 (0) 61 5998518. Queries can also be sent to WhatsApp +595 (0) 974 601 300 and +595 (0) 972 810 600.
Mabel Benítez, coordinator of the Itaipu Scholarship Unit, explained that the new facilities are designed to efficiently serve the large number of scholarship recipients of the Government of Paraguay Scholarship Program. “Our offices offer a wide range of essential services for students, from administrative procedures to benefits management,” she said.
She added that Itaipu currently directly administers 13,000 scholarships, a figure that includes the awards made before the unification of the scholarship program.
Rogelio Sallaberry, Binacional’s Social Responsibility advisor, highlighted that the 2024 call for academic aid was made under the unified system, at the initiative of the President of the Republic, Santiago Peña, and with the support of the Paraguayan general director of Itaipu, Justo Zacarías Irún.
In addition to the Entity, the key institutions that joined forces for this purpose are the Yacyretá Binational Entity (EBY), the Ministry of Education and Science (MEC), and the National Secretariat of Youth (SNJ).
Itaipu Scholarship Unit: Call for 2025
Sallaberry noted that the selection process for new scholarship recipients is supported by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA), thus strengthening the inter-institutional team. He noted that this process seeks to standardise the selection criteria among the participating entities.
“We are currently in the planning phase for the 2025 call for applications. We are thoroughly evaluating the 2024 process to identify areas for improvement and define a preliminary schedule for the next selection cycle,” the advisor said.
Silvia Abente, Head of the Social Responsibility Initiatives Division, explained the changes in the scholarship selection process following the unification of the program.
“The four participating institutions have established uniform requirements and selection criteria. We have implemented a common exam for all applicants, ensuring fairness and selection based on academic performance,” he said.
He added that this approach broadened the scope of the program, although they faced challenges in the 2024 call for applications. “We did not reach the goal of 5,000 scholarship recipients (scholarships were awarded to 4,592 students), due to some candidates not passing the selection exam. This prompts us to review our strategies for future calls for applications,” he reflected.
The professional asserted that the commitment of Itaipu and the Government is to bring the program to more talented young people with limited resources, “for which we are constantly working on improving the program and thus maximising its impact on national education.”