Chile

The Gallagher Foundation is pleased to announce the development of its newest program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile). The agreement was signed by the President of the Gallagher Foundation, Megan G. Prindiville, and Rector Juan Carlos de la Llera of Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC) during a visit to the university on June 17, 2026.

After identifying the desire to grow its impact worldwide, the Gallagher Foundation spent nearly three years determining the criteria and completing research for the selection of a new university partner. The criteria defined by the foundation’s leadership team included: a high quality university sharing the values of the Gallagher Foundation, located in a country with an electoral democracy that supports human rights, a strong GDP and an education system that prepares students for post-secondary success. As the top ranked university in Chile with over 20 different faculties in a country with a strong educational system and growing GDP, UC met each of the criteria.

"During this process, we began discussions with various institutions and ultimately found UC. We were truly impressed by its leadership, the vision of its management team, and everything the university has to offer." – Megan Prindiville, Gallagher Foundation

The program at UC will join the current Gallagher Foundation scholarship programs in Mexico (ITESM – Tecnológico de Monterrey) and South Africa (University of Cape Town), providing full undergraduate scholarships for students with financial need. Founded in 2001 by Jerry and Ellen Gallagher, the mission of the Gallagher Foundation is to support the vision of young leaders to positively impact their developing countries through college scholarships and membership with a community of scholars and alumni who share the same commitments. The scholars selected for the program in Chile will join the community of over 285 current and graduated scholars from Gallagher Foundation programs in Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.

Recent Gallagher graduate, Galilea Jiménez Serrano, spent a year at UC during her university exchange program. "During my exchange, I identified shared values between the university and the Gallagher Foundation; they actively seek to create spaces for reflection on community, multiculturalism, respect, and inclusion."

Development and implementation of the program in Chile will take place over the next few months as UC and the Gallagher Foundation teams work together to define the application and selection processes and support systems for the scholarship recipients. We expect to welcome the first cohort of Gallagher scholars in Chile in 2027.