How much school costs and aid differ between regions

Terms used

• Comedor — The comedor is the school canteen, which is paid separately from teaching.
• Concertada — A concertada is a privately run school funded by the state under an agreement, free for teaching but allowed to charge for extras.
• Primaria — Primaria is primary school, for children aged about 6 to 12.
• ESO — ESO is compulsory secondary education, for ages about 12 to 16.
• Becas — Becas are study grants, paid by the state or regions to eligible students.

Key rules

• Tuition: Teaching is free in public and concertada schools in every region; the extras are where regions differ.
• Books: Free books or loans depend on your region's scheme, its levels and its income limits.
• Concertada payments: A payment that is voluntary in name but needed for admission or attendance is not allowed.
• Check locally: Prices and schemes change each school year, so ask the regional education department.

What differs by region and what does not

Region determines most school-cost items. The differences are largest for books, comedor, concertada fees and aid. They are smaller for public tuition, which is free everywhere.

Teaching in primaria and ESO is free in public and concertada schools in every region, but canteen, transport, extended hours, activities and sometimes books can still cost money. The national framework is the same for everyone. The regions run the costs around it.

Books

Free textbook and book-loan schemes are run by each region, so two families in different regions can pay very different amounts.

• Madrid runs a loan system called Accede in public and concertada schools.
• Andalucía has a free textbook scheme in compulsory education in public and concertada schools.
• Valencia runs a loan scheme called Xarxa Llibres.
• Galicia, Castilla-La Mancha, Murcia, Canarias, Aragón and Extremadura run loan or grant schemes.
• Catalonia relies mostly on school-level book funds and local aid.

Schemes differ in three ways: which levels they cover (primaria, ESO or both), whether there are income limits (some are universal), and whether you get vouchers, cash or a loan you must return. Ask the regional education department for the current conditions.

Comedor

Each region sets public-school comedor prices, often by a yearly order. Some regions set one regional price. In others, school councils or town halls set it. Prices are usually a daily amount in the high single digits of euros, with lower or free rates for low-income families. Catalonia, Madrid, Andalucía and Valencia each publish their own price and discount scale. Ask the regional education department for the price for the current school year.

Concertada fees

A concertada school cannot charge for teaching in compulsory education. It cannot make you pay into its foundation or association as a condition of admission. It can charge for canteen, transport, extended hours and extracurricular activities, which must be authorised or reported to the regional education authority. A "voluntary" quota that is in practice required to enrol or attend is illegal.

How strictly this is checked varies by region. If a school pushes a payment, complain in this order: the school council, then the education inspectorate or regional education department, then the regional ombudsman.

Aid

The regions and town halls run most aid: canteen grants, transport help and regional study aid. Town halls add local aid. The state sets general study grants (becas), mainly for post-compulsory students and some students with special needs. Do not expect them to cover ordinary primaria costs.

How to compare regions

1. Check each region's book scheme and who qualifies.
2. Get the comedor price and discount scale.
3. For concertada schools, ask for the written list of fees.
4. Add up the yearly cost per school.

The checklist below walks through this. If you may move region during the school year, see the what-if below. Rules and prices change by school year, so confirm with the regional education department.

School costs and aid compared across the main regions

Books, comedor, transport and aid are set region by region, so there is no single national price. Public schools in every region charge for these items differently, and the figures change each school year.

How to compare for your own case

1. Find out which region you will live in, then ask the school you are likely to be assigned to for its comedor price and its book arrangements.
2. Ask the school which aid applies to your income and when applications close. Deadlines are short and a missed one usually means waiting until the next school year.
3. If you are choosing between regions, ask each region's education department for its current price list and aid conditions, and compare those figures yourself.

Aid often depends on your registration at your address (padrón), so register as soon as you arrive.

Dates change each year, so check the current calendar with the regional education department.

Checklist

• Look up your region's textbook or book-loan scheme and note which levels it covers and whether it has income limits.

• Find out whether your region's scheme gives a loan you must return, vouchers or cash.

• Check whether your region or town hall offers canteen grants, transport help or other study aid, and note the application deadlines.

• Ask any concertada school you are considering for its list of fees for canteen, transport, extended hours and activities.

• Confirm that the school asks for no payment or foundation contribution as a condition of admission or attendance.

• Compare the total yearly cost for each region and school on your shortlist before you choose where to live.

What if we move to another region mid-course

Regional school aid does not carry over when you move to another region, so you apply again under the new region's rules and deadlines. Plan on starting again with the new region's school aid, while the national grant works differently.

What to apply for again

• Book scheme. Textbook schemes are run by each region. Hand back any books lent to your child to the old school, because the loan is tied to that school's stock. Then apply to the new region's scheme, which has its own eligibility rules and calendar.
• Canteen and school transport aid. These are regional too. Apply again in the new region, under its income conditions.
• Study grants. These vary by region, so treat them as new applications.
• The national grant. It is not tied to a region, but it still needs a new application each year. Moving does not cancel it, and it does not renew itself.

What you lose

• Your place in the old scheme. Any aid you were already awarded stops with the move.
• Books you bought yourself before the move. These are not usually refunded.
• Time, if you arrive mid-year. Some regions let late arrivals join the book scheme or give them priority. Others make you buy books or wait for the next call. Ask the new school or the regional education department what applies to a mid-year arrival.

Registration on the padrón

Register on the padrón at your new address as soon as you can. It is the usual proof of address for school admission points and for aid. Admission is not refused because you have not lived in the region before. Aid is stricter: many calls require you and your child to be registered in the region when the call opens. Some ask for a minimum period, commonly several months to one or two years. Read the conditions of each call before you count on it.

Calendars

Each region runs its own calendar. Admission for the next school year generally opens between February and May, and results come in May to June. Aid for books, canteen and study grants is mostly announced between June and October. If you arrive after these windows, your child can still be placed through the regional commission for late enrolment.

Do it in this order

2. Ask the new school or education department how a mid-year arrival joins the school, the book scheme and the aid calls.
3. Return the loaned books to the old school.
4. Submit new applications for each aid, with the new region's deadlines in hand.

Frequently asked questions

Who sets school canteen prices in Spain?

Each autonomous community sets public-school canteen (comedor) prices, often through a yearly order. Some regions fix one price for everyone, while others let school councils or town halls set it. Low-income families can get reduced or free rates, so ask your region's education department about the discount scale.

Can a concertada school make me pay a voluntary quota?

No, a concertada school cannot make you pay a quota for teaching, even if it is called voluntary. A payment that is in practice needed for enrolment or attendance is treated as illegal, and so is asking for a contribution to the school's foundation as a condition of admission.

Do all regions give free textbooks or book loans?

No, free textbooks or book loans depend on your region and are not offered the same way everywhere. Madrid, Andalucía and Valencia run their own schemes, and other regions use loan banks or grants.

Which school aid does the state run rather than my region?

The Ministry of Education sets the general state study grants (becas), mainly for post-compulsory studies and some special-needs students. Most other aid for primaria and ESO comes from your region, and your town hall may add local aid.