MICITT opens procedure to recover thirteen thousand dollars from unfulfilled scholarship

The MICITT initiated an ordinary administrative procedure against Álvaro Fabián Taborda Mora to determine whether it is appropriate to terminate the non-reimbursable financing contract MICITT-PINN-CON-1949-2021 and order the reimbursement of 13,000 dollars, plus interest, damages, and losses. The decision is contained in resolution MICITT-OD0012-RES-02-2026, issued by the Administrative Procedure Steering Body at 9:35 a.m. on October 13, 2026, and published in La Gaceta No. 207 on Monday, November 2, 2026, in the Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications section.

The framework of the case is the Innovation and Human Capital Program for Competitiveness (PINN), funded by loan contract No. 2852/OC-CR approved via Law No. 9218 between the Republic of Costa Rica and the Inter-American Development Bank, with the MICITT as the executing agency. The scholarship is also governed by the program’s Operating Manual and by “Competition 2-3-1-21-3” of subcomponent II.3, Professional Qualification Program.

The administrative file is processed under number MICITT-OD-EXP-0012-2026, with precedent PINN 2-3-1-21-3-0064, and is supported by circular MICITT-DM-CIRC-016-2024 of December 16, 2024, which regulates monetary collection for breach of obligation by beneficiaries.

The contract and the state disbursement

According to the resolution, on July 19 and 28, 2021, Álvaro Fabián Taborda Mora, holder of ID 1-0937-0928, signed the contract with the MICITT, represented at the time by Minister Paola Vega Castillo. The object was the Web Programming Bootcamp provided by Coding Dojo, Incorporated in a virtual modality, under these conditions:

• 560 hours in duration, over 14 weeks.
• Schedule from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Execution from September 6 to December 10, 2021.
• Financing of 13,000 dollars, intended for registration and monthly fees.

The MICITT disbursed the 13,000 dollars to Coding Dojo, Incorporated for the bootcamp awarded to the beneficiary, according to the second fact of the resolution.

The attributed breaches

The Steering Body maintains that the beneficiary started the bootcamp, stopped attending lessons, and did not complete 90% of the hours. He communicated this himself on October 7, 2021, indicating that he was absent due to a health problem in his spine and could not reconnect; the provider had already reported this to CINDE on September 29, 2021.

The resolution adds that the bootcamp was not successfully completed within the scholarship’s validity period, which expired on December 10, 2021, and was reported as failed. There is also no record that the completion certificate—due no later than January 10, 2022—was submitted to CINDE, nor that any sum was reimbursed despite official letters MICITT-DVCTI-OF-1495-2024 and MICITT-DVCTI-OF-1722-2024. The file also records that access to the platform was maintained six months after graduation.

The allegedly breached clauses are subsections c, d, e, and j of clause 5 and section A.1 of clause 8 of the General Clauses. During the procedure, the statements made by the beneficiary on October 7 and 24, 2021, in which they attributed the absence to health reasons and requested termination, will be evaluated.

A resolution that replaces another annulled one

This initiating act fully replaces resolution MICITT-OD0012-RES-01-2026 of September 9, 2026, which was annulled by resolution MICITT-DM-RES-123-2026 of October 12, 2026, for three reasons: reasonable doubt regarding the validity of its communication by publication, insufficient imputation—as it limited itself to citing clause numbers—and the impossibility of executing its content, as it set a date that had already passed with only four business days’ notice.

The procedure also changed instructors: the minister voided the appointment of Ana Marcela Marín Massey, who resigned from MICITT effective October 6, 2026, and appointed Marjorie de los Ángeles Mejías Orozco in her place, with the powers established in resolution MICITT-DM-RES-094-2026.

Appearance and deadlines

The summons is set under the following terms:

• Oral and private appearance: 8:30 a.m. on November 23, 2026.
• Location: MICITT offices in Zapote, 200 meters west of Casa Presidencial, Mira Building, room 1, 2nd floor.
• Minimum notice: fifteen business days from communication, pursuant to articles 256.2 and 311 of the General Law of Public Administration.
• A period of three business days to designate a location or means for notifications.
• Requests for revocation and appeal, within 24 hours following notification.

The resolution warns that, if the breach is proven and found to be attributable, the termination of the contract could be declared and the reimbursement of exactly 13,000 dollars, plus interest, could be ordered as damages.

The case is significant because it shows how MICITT transfers the expenditure control of PINN scholarships to the administrative headquarters and demands the return of public funds when the financed training is not completed, using notification and defense standards that the governing body itself corrected after annulling a first attempt.

Source: La Gaceta, No. 207, November 2, 2026, Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, page 103 (official reference: resolution No. MICITT-OD0012-RES-02-2026).