What a free public school (colegio público) still costs you

Terms used

• Comedor — The comedor is the school canteen, an optional paid lunch service.
• AMPA — The AMPA is the school's parents' association, which families may join for a voluntary fee.
• Becas — Becas or ayudas de comedor are regional grants that cover part or all of the school canteen price.
• Extraescolares — Extraescolares are optional after-school activities, such as sports or languages, that families pay for.
• Ingreso Mínimo Vital — The Ingreso Mínimo Vital is a national minimum income benefit for low-income households.

Key rules

• Tuition: Teaching is free, and no payment can be a condition of getting a place.
• Voluntary payments: AMPA membership and donations are voluntary, and the school cannot require them.
• Regional differences: Prices, book schemes and aid depend on your region and school, so ask both.
• Comedor aid: Income-based aid for the comedor exists in every region, with yearly deadlines.

What is free and what is not

Public schools charge no tuition, enrolment or curriculum-activity fees, and payments cannot be a condition of admission. Everything else on this page is a family cost, and most of it is optional or depends on your region.

The rules and prices differ by autonomous community, and often by school. Ask the school and your regional education department what applies where you live.

Books and school material

You buy personal school material (notebooks, pens, backpack). Textbooks are free only where your region runs a book-loan or voucher scheme. Without one, you pay.

Yearly spending ranges from almost nothing, in regions with a loan scheme, to a few hundred euros per child. Primaria is usually cheaper than ESO, and ESO costs more where books are bought new. Ask the school whether your region's scheme covers your child's year and how to join it.

Comedor (school canteen)

The comedor is optional and you pay for it. Typical prices are 4 to 7 euros per day, and many regions set a maximum. Examples: around 5 to 6 euros in Madrid, around 4.5 euros in Andalucía (with subsidies) and roughly 6 to 7 euros in Cataluña. It costs more when the school hires its own caterer. Prices change each school year.

Each region runs its own comedor aid, called becas or ayudas de comedor. It is mostly based on household income per person. Some groups are often eligible automatically or get priority:

• recipients of the Ingreso Mínimo Vital or a regional minimum income
• children in foster care
• victims of gender violence or terrorism
• families in social-services care
• sometimes large families or single-parent families with low income

Aid can cover part or all of the price. You usually apply in spring or at enrolment, with deadlines set each year, so ask the school early.

Early-morning and afternoon care, extracurriculars

Early-morning care, afternoon care and extraescolares (after-school activities) are optional paid services. Excursions and outings also cost money in many regions. A school cannot make you pay for activities that are part of the curriculum.

School transport

Transport is a complementary service, and it is free in some cases. Education authorities must provide free transport, or an aid instead, for pupils in primaria and ESO when:

• there is no school place in their town
• they are assigned to a school outside their town
• they live beyond a minimum distance, usually around 3 km in many regions, or in rural areas

Pupils with special educational needs, such as those in specialised schools, usually get free transport. Infantil, Bachillerato and FP are covered less consistently. Each region sets its own distances, income criteria and routes.

AMPA and donations

The AMPA is the school's parents' association. The fee is usually 15 to 40 euros per family per year, sometimes more, and each AMPA sets its own. Membership is voluntary. A school cannot require it for admission or to use school services. Some AMPA-run activities cost members less. Donations to the school are also voluntary.

Public Bachillerato

Public Bachillerato (two years, ages 16 to 18) has no tuition. You still pay for textbooks and material, and some regions run loan or voucher schemes. Some centres ask for a small voluntary contribution or charge for school insurance and activities. University entrance exam fees are set by each region and are charged separately.

The questions below cover comedor prices, aid, transport, the AMPA and Bachillerato in short form.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the school comedor cost per day in a public school?

The comedor typically costs about 4 to 7 euros per day, and many regions set a maximum price. Madrid is around 5 to 6 euros, Andalucía around 4.5 euros with subsidies, and Cataluña roughly 6 to 7 euros. Prices are higher when the school hires its own catering.

Can I get help paying for the comedor?

Yes, each region runs its own comedor aid (becas or ayudas de comedor), mostly based on household income per person. Families on the Ingreso Mínimo Vital, children in foster care and victims of gender violence or terrorism are often eligible automatically or with priority.

Is school transport free in a public school?

It is free for primaria and ESO pupils when there is no school place in your locality, or when your child is assigned to a school beyond a minimum distance, often about 3 km. Pupils with special educational needs usually get it free too. Infantil, Bachillerato and FP are covered less consistently, so ask your regional education department.

Is the AMPA fee compulsory?

No, joining the AMPA (parents' association) is voluntary, and the school cannot require it for admission or to use school services.

Is public Bachillerato free, and what do families still pay?

Public Bachillerato is free of tuition, but you still pay for textbooks and material, and sometimes school insurance or activities.