Scholarships for international students in spain​

Whether you are starting university or you are already studying a university degree, in this blog we explain everything you need to know about scholarships in Spain. From the MEC Scholarship in Catalonia, the different regional scholarships and scholarships from private entities.  

As a university student in Catalonia, you can apply for general grants, both from the Spanish government and the Generalitat de Catalunya, or you can apply for a specific grant from the university where you are studying, as long as you meet the requirements established in each call for applications.

Scholarships are differentiated by two types: general scholarships granted by the public administration and private scholarships granted by different entities.

• MEC Grants: These are grants awarded by the Spanish Government through the Ministry of Education. These scholarships can be applied for by students of baccalaureate, vocational training, university degrees, official master’s degrees and even specific programmes such as university access for the over 25s. 
• Regional grants: The regional scholarships establish the call for applications according to each autonomous community. These scholarships are complementary to the MEC scholarships offered by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports. In the case of Catalonia, it is the Beca de Equitat.
• Collaboration grants: grants aimed at facilitating collaboration with departments for students who are in the final year of their degree or who are studying the first year of an Official Master’s Degree, on a compatible basis with their studies.

• Grants from private entities: such as banks or university institutions.

If you are studying an official university degree at a university in Catalonia and also at the UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) you can apply for the following grants for university students:

The general scholarship is awarded annually by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and managed by the Catalan Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (Agència de Gestió d’Ajudes Universitàries i de Recerca de Catalunya) and is aimed at university students studying official bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees. 

• Application deadline: from 24 March to 14 May inclusive.
• Incompatibilities: the general grant is incompatible with other grants awarded by any other public body.
• Amount: to be calculated. The minimum grant for this scholarship is the enrollment fee. Above this minimum amount, other direct grants can be added. 
• Who can apply? In order to benefit from these grants, students of official university studies for bachelor’s or master’s degrees must meet the general, academic and economic (income and wealth) requirements established in the call for applications. 

The collaboration grants are aimed at students in their final year of a bachelor’s degree or first year of a master’s degree, in order to promote the initiation in research tasks of university students who are about to complete their studies.

• Application period: from June to September, both included.
• Incompatibilities: those established in the call for applications.
• Amount: the total and unique endowment of this grant is 2.000 € for all beneficiaries.
• Who can apply? Final year bachelor’s or master’s degree students who meet the requirements established in the call for applications. 

The beca equitat consists of the application of a percentage reduction (up to 80%) in the tuition fees, depending on the income bracket assigned to you and the studies you are studying. This grant is aimed at university students studying an official bachelor’s or master’s degree at one of the public universities in Catalonia, at the UOC or at one of the 3 affiliated centres taking part.

• Application deadline: from September to October, both included.
• Incompatibilities: if you are awarded the General grant, the Equitat grant will be cancelled.
• Amount: the corresponding reduction will be applied.
• Who can apply? Students officially studying a bachelor’s or master’s degree at a public university in Catalonia, at the UOC or at one of the 3 affiliated centres that participate. 

Study grants from the UPF community: These grants are aimed at students from UPF centres who are enrolled in official university courses and who are facing significant financial difficulties.

UPF salary grant programme for new UPF undergraduate students. This grant is aimed at students who are able to access university for the first time and have limited financial resources.

Grants Commitment UPC: This grant is aimed at new students who are enrolled full time in any of the degrees at UPC’s own centres.

Study grants for students with special financial difficulties or personal circumstances.

Connecta UB grant to guarantee Internet connectivity and the temporary use of laptops for students at the University of Barcelona.

Aid for digital talent, a grant for individual training in digital and technological content for students with disabilities.

Ítaca-Banco Santander salary grant for students who have completed their baccalaureate at a centre that has participated in any edition of the UAB Ítaca Campus.

Santander-Economic Aid Grant to promote gender equality in UAB degrees. This grant is aimed at students who are studying at a UAB centre and are of the sex less represented in the degree.

#UABRefugi grants for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students enrolled at a UAB centre and linked to the FAS reception programme who can prove they are in need of international protection.

UAB study grants programme: free tuition fees for winners of the scientific, classical, economics (local face), computer science and telecommunications Olympiads of Catalonia. This grant is aimed at students who have come first in the Scientific Olympiads aimed at students in the 2nd year of the baccalaureate and enrolled at the UAB in the aforementioned studies.

Grants for victims of gender-based violence who are taking official studies at a UAB centre, accredit their status as victims and are nationals of a member state of the European Union.

Study grants for emergency situations: Finestreta Programme. These grants are aimed at students who are studying official studies at a UAB centre, can prove they are in an emergency situation, are a member of a European Union member state, do not hold or meet the legal requirements to obtain an official qualification of the same academic level and have applied for this grant before.

Grants for stays and fieldwork. To obtain this grant it is necessary that the student is enrolled in an official degree at a UAB centre and has been assigned the compulsory subject that includes the field trip or field work.

The scholarship money is subject to different aspects such as family income, average marks and the members of the family unit. As far as the general scholarship is concerned, it is divided into two: the fixed amount and the variable amount. Each one with an amount that will vary for each student depending on the aspects mentioned above, established in different thresholds.

The fixed amount established by the Ministry of Education is divided into 3:

• For income: from 1.700 €.
• For residence: from 2.500 €.
• For excellence in academic performance: between 50 € and 125 €.

The variable amount can go from 60 € (minimum amount), depending on the family income, the average mark of the studies, and the total budget that the Ministry allocates to scholarships for university students.

Once the scholarship application period has ended, an initial decision will be made informing the student whether the scholarship has been approved or denied. If the grant has been denied, a period is opened to make an appeal.