In Latin America, higher education inequality disproportionately affects individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and Peru is no exception. Since 2012, the National Scholarship and Student Loan Programme (PRONABEC) has disbursed grants, aiming to enhance access to higher education for impoverished Peruvian young people. However, the unprecedented global health crisis in 2020 significantly affected the university experiences of scholarship recipients, introducing new challenges to their experience of higher education. This study, conducted in 2021, explores the factors influencing the persistence, retention and interruption of university studies among scholarship recipients. This qualitative, biographical study, based on the ecological model of higher education, involved 60 current and former scholarship students from public and private universities in three regions. Findings reveal that scholarships played a financial crucial role in supporting educational goals and institutional supports were pivotal in maintaining student retention. While personal motivation and family support contributed to student persistence overall, certain scholarship recipients faced challenges related to work and family demands.