Supporting Someone you Know Through a San Miguel High School or University

By Don Krim

“I am supporting my housekeeper’s daughter, preparing to go to college. What does she need…?”

“…My gardener’s son is in prepa [high school] and I wish to support him. What do I need to know?”

I am asked questions like these all the time. In most of México outside of the larger urban centers, less privileged Mexicans’ transition through high school and to university can be daunting. Kids and their parent(s) may be eager for furthering education, but usually have little or no experience to draw upon for guidance.

In Canada, the US and Great Britain debates swirl around the very nature of education today — the relative value of universities at high costs, curriculum relevance in a fast changing world — but those debates occur in a context where higher education has been a consensus expectation. Less so in México. Only in the past decade or two has prepa (high school) taken on more prominence in the lives of Mexican families (often more for teenage girls, as many males still head al Norte) and university spots are highly competitive.

Supporting the education of Mexican families is a great gift. Doing it on your own can present challenges. Below are some things to know and to keep in mind. Mostly you’ll be supporting a family’s first generation in high school/and or university, and so there will be intense culture shock; remember your own experiences of disorientation and vulnerability and multiply that by 10.

If you are thinking of supporting a student in a private, bilingual high school, handle this with the family delicately. The change of social circle for both student and parents can be very difficult.

Most high schools in San Miguel are Bachillerato Tecnológicos, which means they are specialized - tending to “steer” students into certain career paths. Deviating from those paths can leave students ill-prepared - both academically and with career orientation. Lack of career path clarity or full understanding, is a leading cause of university drop out rates (74%.) In the US and Canada, university programs tend to have a common core curriculum during the first 2 years of study. This allows students to mature more, to know more, before they fully commit to their major. No so in México, only a few elite private programs offer a common core.

What does this mean on a practical level? The student who begins university studying robotics only to discover a year in that she wants to study architecture instead, has no ability to transfer credits. Even changing universities in ostensibly the same major is not feasible. Starting over can be discouraging, and implies a loss of time and money. This lack of academic mobility is a system-wide structural issue. Many students do not research university options they consider unrealistic- whether because the family cannot afford private schools, or because of associated rent and travel costs at schools that lie outside of San Miguel (there is only one public school in San Miguel de Allende) It is important for you, the family, and the student to know much more about the schools themselves. Quality matters. Grades affect scholarships - private, institutional or governmental. Predicting overall school costs for a bachelor’s degree (licenciatura or ingeniería) can be difficult; family incomes are often variable, and while public schools are tuition free, they do have registration fees (inscripción), and of course books and materials costs.

To maximize your and the student’s investment, there is a final step after graduation that applies to all professions - the titulación y cédula. (There is no equivalent in the US or Canada.) The former is often expensive and is provided by the school. The latter professional credential is issued by the Secretary of Education. Critically, it can affect wage growth. The two-stage process can take up to 3 years, and increasingly schools require a test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) as a prerequisite to titulación.

What does this all mean? The Mexican educational system is complex - more so than can be fully covered here - and is not easy to navigate, and not just about money. Your prospective student needs to be diligent, to explore early, to seek experience.

Help parents as well regarding the challenges and sacrifices needed. Seek out resources on offer from NGO’s working in this sector.

Don Krim is the President of Jóvenes Adelante and Development Director, providing support for university education for local students. For more information on how to support a 2026 student, he can be reached at donkrim@jovenesadelante.org

www.jovenesadelante.org