El Salvador Opens Path to Higher Education for 60,000 Vulnerable Youth with IDB Support

WASHINGTON – The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved up to $100 million in financing for the Program for Academic and Community Integration of Youth in El Salvador to expand the opportunities for youth from vulnerable communities to continue their education and access jobs.

The IDB loan will be supplemented by $4 million in grant funding and $10 million in local counterpart funding, for a total of $114 million for the program.

The program will allow more vulnerable Salvadoran youth to pursue a high school and post-high-school education by strengthening their academic, social, and emotional skills; providing scholarships and financial aid; and developing institutional capacity to track educational progress.

The initiative will benefit approximately 60,000 young people over five years, including students in the public school system, young women, people with disabilities, and nearly 1,000 returning migrants. The program aims to close educational gaps that limit young people’s access to and completion of higher education, as well as to improve opportunities for formal employment.

The financing will expand access to higher education through scholarships and cash transfers, strengthen academic support and career guidance in high school, and enable the implementation of tracking and early warning systems to prevent dropouts. The program will also improve young people’s access to formal employment and support the reintegration of returning youth.

This is the first loan under a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) of up to $300 million to help vulnerable youth continue their post-secondary education and transition into formal employment.

The operation is part of the IDB’s efforts to support human capital development in El Salvador and is aligned with the 2025–2029 Country Strategy.