President Claudia Sheinbaum traveled to Tijuana on Saturday, June 20, to personally distribute cards for the Beca Universal Rita Cetina, a federal scholarship that covers school supplies and uniforms. Starting in August, 291,036 elementary school students across Baja California will receive the stipend for the first time.
The event took place at Parque Morelos, where dozens of parents and children gathered under a tent to shelter from the heat. Julio César León Trujillo, national coordinator of the Becas para el Bienestar program, announced that 292,392 students in the state already receive some form of federal scholarship. The new Rita Cetina rollout will nearly double that number.
Program Expands From Middle School to Elementary
The Rita Cetina scholarship, named after the 19th-century Mexican educator who championed access to schooling, previously covered only middle school students in Baja California. Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda noted that more than 34,000 secondary students in the state already benefit from the program. The 2026 expansion extends the same support to all public elementary school students.
Mario Delgado Carrillo, Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education (SEP), said the program aims to ensure no student drops out due to lack of resources. He confirmed that more than 260,000 children will receive funds for supplies and uniforms beginning in August, when the new school cycle starts.
Who Is Eligible and What Documents Are Needed
The scholarship is open to all children enrolled in Mexican public elementary schools. Families applying need a CURP (the national ID number), a guardian’s identification, proof of school enrollment, proof of address, and contact details. Registration typically opens before the school cycle begins through official government channels.
Students who later move on to secondary school remain eligible for the Rita Cetina scholarship. At the high school level, they transition to the separate Beca Benito Juárez program, according to Sheinbaum.
The Saturday event in Tijuana marked one of the first distribution sites in the country for the expanded program. Baja California’s selection as an early launch location puts the state ahead of many others in the rollout timeline. Originally reported by Semanario ZETA.