Higher Education, Science and Technology minister Ligia Amada Melo has informed that students from higher income families have greater access to scholarships compared to those with lower income, a source of concern for the authorities, as reported in Hoy. Melo attributes this difference to the fact that poorer students are insecure and believe that they will not really be considered for a scholarship, even when they have the required grade point averages. “They have the false belief that they must have “godfathers” or some type of political influence to be considered” stated Melo. The Ministry publishes all available scholarships in the newspapers, but the applicants are generally students from relatively affluent backgrounds. The percentage of lower income students that apply for scholarships is usually very low.