The end of summer brings with it a return to routine for most people. Although for many this means returning to work, those who have completed their high school studies, their university degree or their master’s degree will probably still be looking for studies with which to complete their training.
When looking for a degree, vocational training course, master’s degree or even a doctorate that you want to study, the most important thing is to obviously find the option that best suits you.
Once you have found the option that best suits your aspirations and your grade point average, you must find out which universities offer that degree, training or postgraduate study.
University fees and the high cost of living at university may be a difficult financial effort to bear, which may prevent you from accessing the training that is so necessary for the goals you have set yourself.
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It may also happen that the studies you want to undertake are not offered in your place of residence, which would force you to move to another city with the expenses that this type of travel entails.
This does not mean giving up on your studies, as there are currently a large number of scholarships and university grants for studying at both the state and regional level, or scholarships for studying abroad.
As we know that it is very easy to get confused with the deadlines, forms and requirements for each scholarship, we have prepared a list of scholarships and financial aid below to alleviate the financial pressure of your studies:
1. MEFP scholarships or MEC scholarships
The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training offers scholarships whose amount varies depending on a fixed amount and a variable amount.
The fixed amount of each grant is defined in each call for applications and is made up of a tuition grant that covers the cost of the credits you have enrolled in for the first time, a family income grant of €1,700, a grant for changing residence during the school year of €2,500 and another for academic excellence that varies from €50 to €125.
The variable amount of the total scholarship comes from the money left over from the total budget after all the fixed-amount scholarships have been allocated to those who meet the requirements.
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To calculate the amount corresponding to the variable amount, a mathematical formula is used that takes into account the average grade of your academic record and the per capita income of your family.
To apply for a MEFP scholarship, you must have enrolled or be in the process of enrolling for one of the following courses or studies:
- University entrance courses for people over 25 years of age.
- They must be taught by public universities or private subsidized centers.
- University studies for bachelor’s and master’s degrees. These include: bachelor’s and master’s studies at university centres of the Defence and the Civil Guard, additional credits or training supplements to access or obtain a master’s or bachelor’s degree.
2. Andalusian Government Scholarships:
The Andalusian Government has a good number of scholarships to facilitate access to education for those who cannot afford it for financial reasons. Those who want to study in Andalusia can, for example, opt for the following types of scholarships and financial aid:
- 6000 Scholarship: aimed at students in the first or second year of high school or in the first or second year of intermediate vocational training cycles . To obtain this scholarship, it is necessary to belong to a family registered with the Junta de Andalucía. To be eligible as a candidate for the 6000 scholarships from an economic point of view, your family must, for example, have an income threshold of €5,571.50 if it consists of 3 members or €9,038.00 if it consists of 5.
- Adriano Scholarship: funded exclusively by the Andalusian Government, this scholarship has been developed for all those people who want to study Baccalaureate, a Middle Grade Vocational Training Cycle (CFGM), a Higher Grade Vocational Training Cycle (CFGS), professional and higher artistic education or sports education.
3. Canary Islands Government Scholarships:
On the Canary Islands Government portal you will find all the information regarding grants for university studies adapted to the European Higher Education Area as well as scholarships for participants in Dual Vocational Training projects of modality A (students enrolled in intermediate and higher level Dual Vocational Training cycles) and modality B (students enrolled in intermediate and higher level Dual Vocational Training cycles).
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The Canary Islands Government also offers transport grants to cover the additional financial costs that may be involved in pursuing higher education studies outside your island of residence, whether in the Canary Islands or in the rest of the national territory.
4. Community of Madrid Scholarships:
In addition to the scholarships from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training that you can apply for through the Community of Madrid, on its website you can find a wide variety of scholarships and public aid in collaboration with private entities with which to complete your studies. Below is a list of some of the aid available in the Community of Madrid:
- Collaboration grants in university departments: aimed at students enrolled in the final year of their Bachelor’s degree or in the first year of their official university Master’s degree. These grants last 7 months and are worth €2,000. To obtain them, it is also necessary to have an average grade in the studies of 8.00 points in the Arts and Humanities branch, 7.70 points in the Sciences or Experimental Sciences and Social and Legal Sciences, 7.25 points in the Engineering and Architecture or Technical Education branch or 7.8 in the Health Sciences branch.
- Adecco Foundation scholarships for vocational training, undergraduate and master’s degrees, digital skills and English: created with the aim of improving the employability of people with disabilities by promoting training in sectors with greater job opportunities.
- OPTIMUS EXECUTIVE Program: a program organized by the University-Business Foundation and Francisco de Vitoria University with a minimum grant of €800 per month. The purpose of this grant is to facilitate access to the labor market through internships in companies for former university students under 30 years of age who do not yet have professional experience related to their university studies.
5. Basque Government Scholarships:
The Basque Government offers scholarships and financial aid for official undergraduate or master’s degree studies. Applications for this type of scholarship must be made entirely online.
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To access these grants, it is necessary to enroll in a minimum number of credits in the studies you are going to take (60 credits not counting validated, recognized or adapted credits).
No academic performance will be required from students who have enrolled for the first time.
The payment of the public registration fee can be made to the university if the student has not paid the registration fee due to having applied for the grant, or directly to the applicant if he or she has paid the registration fee before applying for the grant.
The amount of the grant is calculated based on the applicant’s financial and academic circumstances.
6. Generalitat Valenciana Scholarships:
Anyone wishing to pursue their university studies in Valencia may apply for the Manuela Solís Scholarship if they belong to a family that does not have the financial resources to cover the costs of a university degree.
These scholarships must be requested for the first year of university and have a fixed amount of €3,500 and are subject to the academic performance of the person applying for them.
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The processing of these grants must be done exclusively online within one month from the day following the publication of the resolution of the Ministry of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society.
7. Generalitat Scholarships:
AGAUR scholarships are managed based on the call for general scholarships for university studies (GRAL) published each year by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.
They are aimed at students who are studying official university undergraduate and/or master’s degrees at a university in Catalonia and at the UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya).
There is also the possibility of applying for the Equitat Scholarships, which have been designed for undergraduate students at Catalan public universities.
This is mainly an aid designed to reduce the cost of university tuition based on the family income of each student. These scholarships only cover the credits that are being taken for the first time and do not apply to master’s degrees.
In the event that the student who applies for it is studying at two universities simultaneously, the aid will be allocated to the tuition fee with the highest cost to facilitate the greatest possible savings.