¿Pura vida para quién? A Qualitative Study on the Removal of Benefits in Costa Rica's Conditional Cash Transfer Program Avancemos and its Effects on Secondary Students' Educational Trajectories and School-to-Work Transitions

This research examines the conditional cash transfer program Avancemos in Costa Rica, analyzing the effects of benefit removal on secondary students' educational trajectories and school-to-work transitions. The research employs a qualitative case study approach, drawing on Life Course Theory, s...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor: Duceman, Luke T.
Formato: tesis de maestría
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:320471
Acesso em linha:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/320471
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Conditional cash transfer
CCT
Avancemos
Costa Rica
Benefit removal
Educational trajectory
School-to-work transition
STWT
Education policy
Poverty
Transferencia monetaria condicionada
TMC
Eliminación de beneficios
Trayectoria educativa
Transición de la escuela al trabajo
Política educativa
Pobreza
Transferència monetària condicionada
Eliminació de beneficis
Trajectòria educativa
Transició de l'escola al treball
Pobresa
Descrição
Resumo:This research examines the conditional cash transfer program Avancemos in Costa Rica, analyzing the effects of benefit removal on secondary students' educational trajectories and school-to-work transitions. The research employs a qualitative case study approach, drawing on Life Course Theory, school-to-work transition frameworks, and Rawlsian principles of social justice to understand how the lived experiences of students are affected when the benefit is removed. The study finds that while Avancemos effectively alleviated financial burdens and enabled student aspirations, its abrupt removal re-established significant financial barriers (e.g., for school materials, transportation, and food) for these vulnerable families, particularly exacerbating challenges for students in rural areas due to lacking local academic and labor market opportunities. Despite these barriers being put back into place, students largely demonstrated resilience and remained enrolled in school, suggesting that the monthly transfer enables intrinsic motivation by alleviating financial obstacles. These issues point to the need for policymakers to carefully consider the long-term implications on students' life trajectories when benefits are taken away.