PRI proposes merit-based academic excellence scholarships in Mexico

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) has introduced a legislative initiative in the Chamber of Deputies to reinstate academic excellence scholarships in Mexico. The proposal seeks to amend the General Law of Education to provide economic incentives exclusively to public school students who maintain a minimum grade average of 9.0.

Proponents of the measure, including the PRI parliamentary group led by Rubén Moreira Valdez, argue that merit-based scholarships will motivate students, reduce dropout rates among high-potential youth, and optimize the educational budget by rewarding competitiveness. The party maintains that “effort and merit deserve to open doors.”

This proposal creates a legislative debate against the current federal government's model of universal scholarships, such as the Benito Juárez and Rita Cetina programs, which are granted to all students regardless of academic performance. President Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the universal model, arguing that grade-based criteria do not account for the socio-economic disparities and family challenges that affect student performance.