The Board of Trustees is leaving, the House remains

State government proposes to dissolve the agency, but guarantees the operation of the Student Residence in Mexico City and the others

casa del estudiante con inquilinos — The operation and administration of these spaces will be under the direct responsibility of the State Secretariat of Public Education (SEP). / Foto: Alan Flores / El Sudcaliforniano

Francisco Rueda / El Sudcaliforniano

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La Paz, Baja California Sur – Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío sent an initiative to the Baja California Sur Congress to dissolve the decentralized public agency Patronato del Estudiante Sudcaliforniano (South Californian Student Foundation), raising questions about the future of the Casa del Estudiante Sudcaliforniano (South Californian Student House) in Mexico City and the role the State should play in supporting young people studying outside the state.

The proposal does not involve closing the Student House or eliminating institutional support, but rather an administrative reconfiguration.

According to the document obtained by El Sudcaliforniano, the state Executive maintains that the Board of Trustees “has already fulfilled its historical function” and that its powers were superseded by both the federal scholarship policy and the evolution of the administrative structure of the state government itself.

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Advierten riesgos para estudiantes tras iniciativa que busca eliminar el patronato en Baja California Sur

The initiative presented by the governor

The central focus of the initiative is the legal dissolution of the Board of Trustees, an organization created in 2006, through the repeal of the law that established it. The decree proposes transferring its functions, assets, rights, and obligations to other state government agencies, primarily the Ministry of Finance and Administration and the State Ministry of Public Education (SEP).

casa estudiante CDMX — The state subsidy is maintained and the strengthening applies both to the Student House in Mexico City and to those existing in Baja California Sur. / Foto: Alan Flores / El Sudcaliforniano

The explanatory statement argues that the Board of Trustees ceased to effectively fulfill key functions such as managing student housing and distributing financial aid, due to duplication with federal programs such as the Rita Cetina, Benito Juárez, and Jóvenes Escribiendo el Futuro scholarships.

Furthermore, the government documents a sustained reduction in the number of beneficiaries, from over 4,000 students served in 2024 to just over 1,700 in 2025, which, according to the Executive branch, makes maintaining the organization’s administrative structure unfeasible.

The initiative emphasizes that the dissolution of the Board of Trustees does not imply the disappearance of the Student Residences. On the contrary, it establishes that the operation and administration of these spaces will fall under the direct responsibility of the state Ministry of Education (SEP), with the aim of guaranteeing their functioning, maintenance, and institutional support.

The Student House is not disappearing, it is being strengthened: Governor

victor castro gobernador — The governor assures that public resources will be allocated directly to the operation of student residences, without administrative intermediaries. / Foto: Alan Flores / El Sudcaliforniano

In an interview with El Sudcaliforniano, Governor Víctor Castro Cosío maintained that his position is neither one of cuts nor neglect. “I opposed the idea of closing that residence at the time. On the contrary, we are strengthening it,” he stated.

He explained that the change aims to streamline the administration and ensure that public funds are allocated directly to the operation of student residences, without administrative intermediaries.

He added that the state subsidy remains in place and that the strengthening applies to both the Student Residence in Mexico City and those in Baja California Sur.

The Baja California Sur Student Residence in Mexico City, with over a century of history, has been a key space for decades in the education of young people who migrate temporarily to pursue university studies. However, its recent history is also marked by periods of decline and institutional controversy.

Background and attempts at closure

casa del estudiante cdmx alan flores — Although budget cuts were proposed in 2019, the closure was postponed “until further notice” and the residence continued to operate. / Foto: Alan Flores / El Sudcaliforniano

In 2016, during Carlos Mendoza Davis’s term as governor, the state education department (SEP) issued an order to evict more than 60 students living in the building, based on a report by the firm Análisis y Desarrollo Estructural (Andes) that warned of a “high risk” of collapse.

The building, located at Calzada de la Viga #1448, in the Iztapalapa borough, has been in operation since 1987 and had not received formal maintenance for decades, leading to the closure order based on structural safety concerns.

The decision was rejected by the Association of South Baja Californian Students in Mexico (AESM), which filed a constitutional appeal and argued that reports from Mexico City’s Civil Protection agency classified the building as low risk, provided that rehabilitation work was carried out.

The property comprises 5,544 square meters, of which 2,426 correspond to land and 3,118 to construction, data that the students used to underscore the building’s heritage and social value.

The controversy led to public demonstrations and demands to rehabilitate the House instead of closing it. Although budget cuts were proposed in 2019, the closure was postponed “until further notice” and the residence continued operating.

It takes students by surprise

On November 22, 2025, the South Baja California Student Residence in Mexico City celebrated its 105th anniversary with the presence of Governor Castro Cosío, who donated mattresses, bed frames, chairs, and tables, and announced waterproofing work.

This event is cited by the state government itself as evidence that the current initiative does not seek to close the Student Residence, but rather to redefine its management structure, a process that will now be analyzed and approved by the local Congress.

Students from the AESM (Association of Students of the State of Baja California) told El Sudcaliforniano that they were not informed beforehand about the presentation of the initiative. In a message sent to this newspaper, they indicated that their only source of information has been news reports and the legislative document.

The student organization reported that it is arranging meetings with state authorities to fully understand the scope and implications of the proposal. Therefore, they are requesting more time to offer a formal and documented position on the matter.

Scope and impact of the Student House

casa del estudiante cdmx — The building, located at Calzada de la Viga #1448, Iztapalapa borough, has been operating since 1987 and the property it occupies measures five thousand 544 square meters. / Foto: Alan Flores / El Sudcaliforniano

There is no official, consolidated figure for the total number of students who have benefited from the Casa del Estudiante Sudcaliforniano (South Baja California Student Residence) in Mexico City since its founding in 1920. However, historical data and official reports allow us to understand its impact.

The building, with an operational capacity of between 60 and 90 students per academic year, has maintained an average occupancy of 60 to 80 residents over the last decade. Considering more than a century of operation, thousands of young people from Baja California Sur have benefited throughout its history from lodging, meals, and institutional support while pursuing university studies in the nation’s capital.

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Current and former members of the AESM (Association of Students of Baja California Sur) consulted highlighted the role of the Student Residence as a space for camaraderie, mutual support, and organizational independence. They emphasized that the Residence has allowed young people from Baja California Sur to complete university degrees, expand their professional opportunities, and develop in a diverse environment, which they describe as a “great opportunity for growth” and a crucial support for fulfilling life plans outside the state.

The Board of Trustees is leaving, the House remains