Puerto Rico Launches Scholarship to Attract & Retain Skilled Professionals
San Juan, puerto Rico – The Puerto Rican government is investing in its future workforce with the expanded Teodoro Moscoso Scholarship, a program offering up to $40,000 to students pursuing critical fields. For the first time, the scholarship is open to Puerto Rican students studying outside of the island, aiming to incentivize their eventual return and contribution to the local economy.
The scholarship, administered by the Department of economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), targets students aged 13-29 enrolled in technical/vocational programs, as well as university degrees in high-demand areas like health, telecommunications, computer science, engineering, and construction trades.
“Our goal is to strengthen Puerto Rico’s human capital,” explained Secretary of Economic Development, Sebastián Negrón Reichard. “We want to empower our young people to achieve their educational dreams, whether here on the island or abroad, while ensuring a commitment to rebuilding and bolstering our local workforce.”
The scholarship offers two tiers of funding: up to $10,000 for two years of technical or vocational study, and up to $40,000 for four years of undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral level education. Priority will be given to students pursuing careers where recruitment is challenging in Puerto Rico, as well as those demonstrating significant financial need.
Funding for the program has increased from $800,000 to $1.2 million, a change championed by Governor Jenniffer gonzález and sourced from the DDEC Economic Incentive Fund. Since 2021,the scholarship has already supported approximately 125 students,with 40-50 selected annually.
applicants must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.75 for university studies and 3.50 for technical/vocational programs.Accomplished candidates will also need to provide a letter of admission, two letters of suggestion, and participate in an interview.
Crucially, recipients studying outside of puerto Rico are required to return to the island to work after completing their education.
The application deadline is November 15th. Interested students can find more information and apply at https://www.desarrollo.pr.gov/beca-teodoro-moscoso.