CONAHCYT Scholarships (Mexico) 2026

Overview

The CONAHCYT Scholarships are Mexico's national postgraduate funding programme, run by the federal science authority. That authority has changed names more than once: long known as CONACYT (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología), it became CONAHCYT (Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías) in 2023, and from 1 January 2025 it turned into a ministry, SECIHTI (Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación). Students still call the awards "becas CONACYT" or "becas CONAHCYT," but the current official body is SECIHTI.

The programme funds Mexican students, and in many cases foreign students, to pursue specialisation, master's and doctoral study. It covers study inside Mexico (Becas Nacionales) through the Sistema Nacional de Posgrados (SNP) and abroad (Becas al Extranjero) through separate international calls.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Funding body: SECIHTI — Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación (formerly CONACYT, then CONAHCYT), Government of Mexico
• Levels of study: Especialidad, Maestría (master's) and Doctorado (doctoral)
• Where you can study: Within Mexico (Becas Nacionales) and abroad (Becas al Extranjero)
• Eligible nationalities: Mexican nationals; foreign nationals may apply to many calls subject to administrative requirements
• National programme requirement: Enrolment in a programme registered in the Sistema Nacional de Posgrados (SNP)
• 2026 national monthly stipend (maestría): $16,047.99 MXN
• 2026 national monthly stipend (doctorado): $21,397.32 MXN
• 2026 national monthly stipend (especialidad): $14,264.88 MXN
• Additional benefit: medical service through ISSSTE for national scholarship holders

Eligibility Criteria

What you need depends on whether you apply for the national (in-Mexico) or the abroad call. The points below cover the national Becas Nacionales para Estudios de Posgrado. Always confirm the exact terms in the relevant convocatoria.

• Be enrolled in, or accepted into, a postgraduate programme registered in the Sistema Nacional de Posgrados (SNP).
• Study full-time and exclusively for the duration of the scholarship.
• Meet the academic and administrative requirements in the convocatoria, including registering your unique profile in the official system.
• Mexican nationals are the main audience; foreign nationals enrolled in an eligible programme may apply where the call allows, under its administrative conditions.
• For abroad calls, be a Mexican national starting or undertaking master's or doctoral study at an eligible foreign institution, meeting that call's criteria.

Scholarship Benefits

The national programme pays a monthly living stipend set by the annual Tabulador de Becas Nacionales, plus social coverage. For 2026 the schooled (escolarizado) modality pays, per month:

• Doctorado: $21,397.32 MXN (6.0 UMA).
• Maestría / academic exchange: $16,047.99 MXN (4.5 UMA).
• Especialidad: $14,264.88 MXN (4.0 UMA).
• Medical service: coverage through ISSSTE for national scholarship holders.
• Duration: support runs for the official length of the programme, subject to renewal and academic progress as set in the convocatoria.

Abroad calls (Becas al Extranjero) come with a different package that can include monthly maintenance, tuition or training-cost support and annual health coverage, with benefit tiers (for example Tipo 1 and Tipo 2) defined per call. Check the exact figures in the international convocatoria, since they differ from the national amounts.

How to Apply

You apply online through SECIHTI's information systems. The general process:

• Confirm your postgraduate programme is registered in the SNP (for national calls) or eligible under the relevant abroad call.
• Create or update your curriculum in your unique profile (Perfil Único) within the SECIHTI system.
• Register and submit your application online for your chosen convocatoria.
• Complete enrolment/matrícula registration during the call's window.
• Track your application and formalisation steps in the platform and answer any requests on time.

Required Documents

Each convocatoria lists the exact requirements. The usual documents are:

• Official identification (for Mexican nationals, CURP and identity document).
• Letter of acceptance or proof of enrolment in the postgraduate programme.
• Academic records, including your prior degree certificate and transcripts.
• A complete, up-to-date unique profile (Perfil Único) / curriculum in the system.
• Bank account details for stipend payments.
• For abroad calls, extras such as the foreign institution's acceptance letter and any complementary-financing agreements.

Important Dates & Deadlines

SECIHTI runs separate calendars for national and abroad calls, and national applications use enrolment periods tied to when the scholarship begins.

• Becas Nacionales 2026: published on 23 February 2026, open through a final deadline of 28 November 2026. Enrolment-registration windows are split into periods for scholarships starting in the first and second halves of the year.
• Becas al Extranjero (Ciencia y Humanidades) 2026: published on 10 March 2026, with applications opening 23 March 2026 and closing 22 May 2026.

Deadlines change every cycle and vary by call, so verify the current dates in the specific convocatoria on the official SECIHTI website.

Tips for a Strong Application

• Check SNP registration first. National funding only goes to programmes in the Sistema Nacional de Posgrados, so confirm your programme's status before anything else.
• Keep your Perfil Único complete and current. An outdated profile is a common cause of delays.
• Respect the enrolment-registration windows. National calls tie eligibility to registering your matrícula within a set period.
• Read the right convocatoria. National and abroad calls have different rules, benefits and deadlines.
• Get your bank and ID details ready early so formalisation isn't held up once you're selected.
• Plan around the exclusive-dedication rule. National holders are expected to study full-time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it CONACYT, CONAHCYT or SECIHTI?

Same lineage, different eras. The agency was CONACYT, became CONAHCYT in 2023, and from January 2025 operates as the ministry SECIHTI. People still call the awards becas CONAHCYT or becas SECIHTI.

Q: Can the scholarship fund study abroad?

Yes. Besides national scholarships for study within Mexico, SECIHTI runs separate Becas al Extranjero calls for postgraduate study in other countries.

Q: Can foreign nationals apply?

Many calls let foreign nationals apply if they're enrolled in an eligible programme and meet the administrative requirements. Some abroad calls are for Mexican nationals only.

Q: How much is the monthly stipend?

For national 2026 awards, roughly $16,047.99 MXN for master's, $21,397.32 MXN for doctorate and $14,264.88 MXN for specialisation, per that year's Tabulador.

Q: Does the scholarship include health coverage?

National holders get medical service through ISSSTE. Abroad calls set their own health-coverage arrangements.

Related Scholarships

If you're weighing Latin American government postgraduate funding, look at these too:

• Becas Chile (ANID): Chile's government scholarships for master's and doctoral study abroad.
• SECIHTI Becas al Extranjero: the international counterpart to the national CONAHCYT scholarships.
• DAAD, Chevening and Fulbright: international government scholarships often combined with SECIHTI complementary financing.