- Complete overview of MEC scholarships, both regional and university, and private, with key requirements and amounts.
- Procedures guide: official phases, objections, status inquiries, and electronic registration channels.
- Economic and academic details: income and wealth thresholds, percentages by branch, and repayment cases.
Studying in Spain doesn't have to be a financial marathon.Between tuition, rent, transportation, and materials, expenses can skyrocket, but there's a wide range of scholarships and grants designed to ensure no one is left behind. In this guide, you'll find the most relevant options for undergraduate and graduate students, mobility, internships, and social support, all clearly explained in clear language.
Below we integrate the information published by ministries, universities, autonomous communities and private entities, with essential requirements, amounts and proceduresWe've also added practical nuances regarding documentation, electronic registration, and family situations (such as independent students), as well as privacy and cookie notices that often appear on these portals.
Scholarships from the Ministry of Education (MEC)
The general scholarships of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports are, by far, the best known and most requested by university studentsThey are structured into several components, and you can receive one or more at a time if you meet the academic and financial requirements.
These components include: tuition (covers the official price of the credits), fixed amount for residence (€1.500 if you live away from your family home to study), fixed amount for income (€1.600 for low-income families), a bonus for academic excellence (from €25 to €125 depending on the grade) and the variable amount, which is calculated with an algorithm that weighs income and record and, therefore, changes for each applicant.
Regarding academic requirements, in the first year The university entrance grade is sufficient (to cover tuition fees), and a slightly higher grade is required to qualify for the financial components. In subsequent courses, students are required to have passed a percentage of credits from the previous course and, where applicable, meet average grades according to branchIn the master's program, the first year requires the entrance qualification, and in the second year, the student must have passed 100% of the coursework.
Scholarships and grants from Autonomous Communities
In addition to the MEC, the autonomous communities publish each year (with more or less regularity, depending on budgets) own calls for university studentsThey vary considerably from one region to another, and sometimes from one year to the next, so it's a good idea to monitor your community's educational websites.
For reference, the Region of Madrid It has been offering scholarships for excellence with significant amounts (around €2.100) for very high academic achievement, with strict admission criteria for new students and demanding grade point averages in subsequent academic years. It also promotes specific support for students with disabilities and those in complex socioeconomic situations.
La Junta de Andalucía has launched measures such as the return of a large part of the cost of university tuition (up to 99% as long as the credits are passed), and promotes language training programsThese initiatives are complemented by other calls throughout the course based on community priorities.
In general, you'll find scholarship pages by region: Madrid, Andalusia, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Valencian Community, Aragon, Extremadura, Murcia, Galicia, Catalonia, Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria, Navarre, La Rioja, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands. Not all official websites are equally up-to-date., so if the information is limited, find the scholarship phone number or email to confirm if there are any open calls.
University-specific aid
Spanish universities, both public and private, also call for applications. Own programs: excellence, socioeconomic aid and collaboration scholarships in departments, libraries, laboratories, or services. Some combine their own funds with ministerial or regional contributions, while others incorporate private sponsorship.
Among the most common are: scholarships for excellence (to attract talent), aid for economic situation or vulnerability (disability, risk of exclusion, victims of terrorism or refugees), and collaboration and research initiation scholarships for final-year students or recent graduates starting a master's degree.
In addition, many universities organize prizes and contests (literature, photography, design, architecture) with cash or tuition discounts. They are a complementary form of financing and academic incentive.
A useful example of university governance is the General Commission for Scholarships and Study Aid of the University of Seville, which designs its own offer, establishes criteria with a focus on equality and non-discrimination, prepares guidelines, evaluates applications, and formulates grant proposals to the Rector. reports complaints in this area. These committees set the standard for internal procedures in many universities.
Private programs: Banco Santander
Banco Santander finances a wide range of scholarships with competitive calls and interesting endowmentsIt's a good idea to check your portal periodically to see what's open at any given time.
Among the best known are the Santander Erasmus scholarship (complements the public amount and usually offers thousands of grants in ranges from €150 to €3.200 depending on criteria and merits), the Ibero-American scholarships (approx. 933 grants of €3.000 for stays at universities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico and Uruguay, in addition to approximately 101 research scholarships of €5.000), the program Europe Scholarships (training trip through European universities for the best records) and the Equality scholarships aimed at women with a good academic record (e.g., 2 grants of €5.000).
Santander also launches other more specific schemes: PhD mobility, master's degrees, research stays and digital projects, in collaboration with partner universities in Spain and abroad.
Private programs: "la Caixa" Foundation
The “la Caixa” Foundation is another key player in postgraduate and specialization scholarships, with a primary focus on study abroad. Its courses are demanding, with limited but well-resourced places.
They highlight the postgraduate scholarships in Europe (approximately 75 places for master's degrees, doctorates, or research projects), with monthly grants of around €1.400 and tuition coverage. The usual requirements are: Spanish nationality, higher education degree obtained within the last 10 years, language accreditation and, if it is an MBA, work experience.
To North America and Asia-Pacific There are scholarships for on-campus stays of 9 to 24 months: monthly aid of around $2.400 (or local equivalent), tuition fees, travel support (up to €2.000), an initial monthly installation fee, funding for conferences/seminars and administrative expenses (for example, €250 for issuing the degree certificate). visa and insurance from illness and accidents. Some applications usually close between late winter and spring.
Internships and training: SEPI Foundation
If you want to start gaining experience, the SEPI Foundation manages practical training scholarships in companies top-tier (Telefónica, Airbus, Deloitte, among others). It is a highly valued bridge between university and employment.
Your business initiation program launches two calls per year (usually in February and September) to join in May and November, respectively. The stays are for 6 months, with the possibility of extension if both parties are satisfied, and include economic allocation, Social Security and accident insurance.
National mobility: SICUE (Seneca Scholarship)
The SICUE program allows you to complete a period of study at another Spanish university, with academic recognition agreed upon in advanceThe Seneca scholarships have returned after years of absence, with grants that in previous years were around €500 per month.
Beyond the help, the advantage is experiential and academic: change campuses, meet new teaching teams and expand networks within the Spanish university system.
European Mobility: Erasmus+
Erasmus+ remains the star option to complete part of your studies at a European university, with credit validation and a monthly allowance modulated by the cost of living in the destination country.
The usual reference group countries into three blocks. For high-cost-of-living destinations (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Norway), the monthly aid is usually around 300€. For the middle group (Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal), around 250€, and for the lowest cost group (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Turkey), about 200€.
Official requirements: general and academic
To access public scholarships, general conditions are required such as: not being in possession of an official degree of the same or higher level to the studies for which you are requesting aid, and Spanish or EU nationality (in the latter case, with permanent residence or worker status). non-EU citizens their specific regulations on immigration and social integration apply to them.
On the academic level, for first-year degree studies The entrance qualification (if foreign, approved) and registration for at least 30 credits are required; to qualify for the total variable amount, register for 60. subsequent courses You must enroll in at least 30 credits (60 if you are looking for the total variable) and have passed a percentage of the credits from the previous course, which varies by branch:
| Branch or area | Credits to pass (previous course) |
|---|---|
| Arts and Humanities | 90% |
| Science | 65% |
| Social and Legal Sciences | 90% |
| Health Sciences | 80% |
| Engineering and Technical Education | 65% |
En master, in the first year you must have the degree that gives access (recognized, if applicable) and enroll in at least 30 credits (60 if you want to opt for the total variable). In second and subsequent courses It is required to have completed at least 30 credits in the previous year and to have passed the 100% of credits enrolled so.
Economic requirements: income and assets
General scholarships assess the economic capacity of the family unit. For the income, the tax information for the reference year is consulted: the general tax base plus the savings base is used as a starting point, certain negative net balances are excluded and the fee resulting from the self-assessmentThis compares with official thresholds based on eligible members.
| Members | Threshold 1 | Threshold 2 | Threshold 3 |
| 1 | 8.843 | 13.898 | 14.818 |
| 2 | 13.264 | 23.724 | 25.293 |
| 3 | 17.685 | 32.201 | 34.332 |
| 4 | 22.107 | 38.242 | 40.773 |
| 5 | 25.644 | 42.743 | 45.572 |
| 6 | 29.181 | 46.142 | 49.196 |
| 7 | 32.718 | 49.503 | 52.780 |
| 8 | 36.255 | 52.850 | 56.348 |
| + 8 | + 3.536 | + 3.340 | + 3.561 |
En . Among other things, the cadastral values are taken into account: urban land values (excluding the primary residence) cannot exceed €42.900; in rural lands (without buildings) the limit is €13.130 for each eligible member. In addition, the sum of net income from movable capital plus a net positive balance of capital gains and losses must not exceed €1.700. Excluded are, for example, subsidies for primary housing, social cultural vouchers, raffle prizes up to €1.500, and aid for the DANA (National Anti-Drug Traffic Accident) or the La Palma volcano.
Processing: phases, notifications and allegations
The process starts with the application at the MEFPD electronic headquartersAfter submitting your application, a first phase begins to verify general and financial requirements. Additional documentation may be requested via email to the address you provided.
If you do not answer in time or do so incompletely, They can deny you the scholarship. You can appeal this denial within 10 business days. The Ministry will then notify you via the office whether or not you meet the financial requirements. If you do, you will be eligible. Change studies/university, bank account or address within the deadline. If not, you may submit electronic submissions.
La second phase reviews the academic requirements, with the same dynamic of requirements and allegations if applicable. Finally, a provisional resolution (admits allegations by record) and, later, the finalFrom this last point, one month is open for appeals or two months for administrative litigation before the National Court.
How to check the status of your scholarship
You can follow up on the electronic headquarters of the Ministry, in the "My files" section, and also by accessing the UNED Campus with your credentials (Virtual Secretary's Office, "Scholarships" section) if you study at that university. These are the official channels where you'll see the processing steps and possible requirements.
Registration changes in February
If you are already a beneficiary and within the February deadline you extend your enrollment with first-year subjectsThese new subjects are covered by the scholarship. Any enrollment changes should be notified to your university's Scholarship Department (for example, UNED specifically states this).
When the scholarship must be returned
To avoid refunds, you must pass at least 50% of the credits enrolled, or 40% if you're studying Science or Technical Studies. If you don't reach this threshold, a refund process will be initiated, and you'll have to return all the components except the tuition grant.
Si cancel registration before finishing the course, a revocation procedure may be opened. Depending on the reason, all amounts will be reclaimed, including the registration fee. The reimbursed amounts will be added to the legal interests that correspond according to the General Law of Subsidies.
Family unit and signature sheet: who counts
The computable members are those who living in the family home as of December 31 (in addition to the applicant): parent or guardian, siblings under 25 years of age (and adults with disabilities), children of the student under 25 (and adults with disabilities), minors in permanent foster care or guardianship for adoption purposes, and ascendants who prove they reside at the same address.
They can also compute other unrelated persons who live in the house and have their own income if they cannot prove that they share a rental property. In the case of divorce or separation without shared custody, the ex-spouse who does not live with him does not count, but the new spouse or partner of the cohabiting parent, together with their income.
With shared custody, both parents and common children are counted. If the applicant is a independent family unit (lives on his/her own with his/her own financial means and owns a purchased or rented home), only he/she, his/her partner or spouse, and his/her children are counted. It is essential to record the identity documents (NIF/NIE, passport) of all eligible members.
On the signature sheet you will be asked for information such as relationship (student's partner/spouse if independent, student's child, father/mother/guardian/sibling/grandparent, spouse or partner of father/mother/guardian, or others), if it exists disability (only for students and siblings; or children if independent), marital status, custody, activity (active, unemployed, student, disabled, retired, housework, or other). The sheet must be signed all eligible members over 18, and DNI/NIE are provided for those over 14.
Documentation and registration: where to submit it
After generating the receipt, the system indicates whether you must provide documentation and which one. If you declare independent family unit, they usually ask for proof of income for the reference year (withholdings, declaration, non-contributory pensions, SEPE certificates, etc.), housing title or contract (IBI or rent in your name) and joint registration certificate as of December 31.
If you are a new student at university, you may need the entrance qualifications with an average grade; if you are coming from another university, an academic certificate from the last course completed. All documentation can be sent by Electronic record (https://rec.redsara.es/) with a Digital Certificate, DNIe or Cl@ve, and have an updated AutoFirma.
Shipping is also supported by UNED electronic headquarters (https://sede.uned.es/), accessing ELECTRONIC REGISTRY with a digital certificate. If you are missing any files, You can make another additional registration. In person, you can go to the Public Administration Registration Assistance Offices that process through SIR/ORVE, or to Post Offices with Electronic Registration. To send to UNED, the identification code is used U02800184 (Scholarship Section – UNED).
Specific emergency aid: DANA
There are extraordinary calls when severe weather events damage school supplies or textbooks. In the case of the DANADirect aid has been provided to affected students and families to replace study materials rendered unusable by the incident.
Cookies and privacy on scholarship portals
Most official and private websites show a cookie notice with options to accept or reject, informing you that they use their own cookies to facilitate navigation and third-party cookies for usage and satisfaction statistics. They usually include a link to the "Cookies" section of the legal notice for further details.
If you subscribe to newsletters or leave your details to receive alerts, check the Data protection policyFor example, on a private portal such as becas.com, the data controller is International Academic Aid Action SL, the purpose is to send you information by email about scholarships, the legitimacy is your consent, they do not transfer data to third parties, and you can exercise rights of access, rectification or deletion by writing to the email address provided (e.g., hola@becas.com). The privacy and cookie policy expands on all of the above.
As you can see, between MEC, CCAA, universities and private entities, There is a powerful ecosystem of opportunities to finance studies, move to other campuses or countries, and even enter laboratories and departments with collaboration grants. Keeping documentation in order, responding to requests promptly and knowing the economic thresholds and academic percentages will put you in the best position to get help.