Beneficiaries of the Rowe Fund

For sixty years the Rowe Fund has helped finance the cost of higher education studies of Latin-American and Caribbean citizens in US universities through interest-free loans.  Many of the beneficiaries of these loans, upon returning to their country of origin, have contributed to the social and economic development in the region by occupying key positions in their countries' public sector, academia, the arts, and business.  

Through the cultural and academic exchange component of studying abroad, said beneficiaries have had the opportunity to expand their knowledge and gain an international experience that, in many cases, has later been applied in their own home countries.

The professional and personal benefits that our ex-beneficiaries have obtained are reflected in the results of a survey conducted in 2010 by the Rowe Fund.  This survey shows how our loans have helped a number of our beneficiaries become leaders in the Americas in a broad spectrum of fields. Thus, the Rowe Fund loan program of the OAS has supported the cultural enrichment that training abroad provides to students and the potential benefits that this training may bring to their home countries. 

In their testimonials, Rowe Fund beneficiaries told us what they are doing to assist in their country's development and how their studies in the US have influenced them as individuals and as professionals.    They have also sent notes of appreciation for the supplementary aid the Rowe Fund has provided them.

Current and former Leo S. Rowe Fund beneficiaries are welcome to join the Inter-American Network of OAS Scholars, www.educalum.org. The website is home of the OAS Scholarship Alumni and Student Association and helps beneficiaries create links and contacts with professionals throughout the hemisphere.

Some Testimonials:

“I am extremely grateful to the Rowe Fund for the assistance provided towards completion of my Master's degree which made possible for me to jump significantly as a professional and also as a human being.”

P. Vivero from Ecuador
University of Illinois
Masters in Economics

“I contribute academically and culturally to my country as I use what I have learned in the US every time I step into the classroom. I was lucky to have saved money to go to the US and start my studies before getting the loan.  However, I think that many people do not have the same luck and don’t know about the Fund.”

R. Da Silva from Brasil
Carson Newman College
Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language

“I used my industrial engineering knowledge to help improve production on a textile industry in Peru.  My engineering studies in the US gave me a strong background that I used in Peru.... As an individual, I gained valuable international knowledge by interacting with people from different countries.  As a professional, I learned the tools necessary to develop myself as an engineer. I think it is a great loan and it really helped me during college.”

M. Tovar from Peru
St. Mary's University
Bachelors in Engineering