School costs and aid in Cataluña

Terms used

• Concertada — A concertada school is privately run but receives public funding to cover teaching.
• Comedor — The comedor is the school lunch service.
• Consell comarcal — The consell comarcal is the county-level authority in Cataluña that manages local services such as comedor aid.
• Ajut individual de menjador — The ajut individual de menjador is the income-based aid that pays all or part of school lunch costs.
• Fons de llibres — The fons de llibres is a school book pool where families lend or swap textbooks.
• AMPA — The AMPA is a school's parents' association.
• Ajuntament — The ajuntament is the town hall.

Key rules

• Concertada quota: The quota is voluntary, and not paying it cannot affect your child's place.
• Extras: Comedor, transport and extras are charged separately and are optional.
• Comedor aid: Apply through your consell comarcal, or in Barcelona city through the Consorci d'Educació or city council, usually once a year.
• Books: There is no region-wide free textbook scheme, so ask your school and ajuntament.
• International schools: Each school sets its own fees and adds enrolment, deposit and uniform charges.

Quota limits, comedor aid thresholds and deadlines, and book aid change each year, so confirm current figures with the Departament d'Educació, your consell comarcal and your ajuntament.

What to budget for

Your costs depend on the type of school. Public schools cost the least. Concertada schools (privately run, but funded by the state) ask for a voluntary quota and charge extras separately. International private schools set their own fees, and these are the highest. Help with lunches and books exists, but it goes through local offices and depends on your income.

Concertada schools: the quota is voluntary

Public funds already cover teaching in concertada schools. The quota is therefore a donation towards complementary activities and services. It cannot be required for teaching.

• If you don't pay, the school cannot refuse your child a place or treat your child differently.
• The school must tell families openly what the quota covers. Ask for this in writing.
• Comedor (school lunch), transport and extras are charged on top, and they are optional.
• The Generalitat issues a resolution each year on what schools may charge. Amounts change, so check the current one with the Departament d'Educació.

Comedor aid

The aid is called the ajut individual de menjador. It is run by the consell comarcal of your comarca. In Barcelona city, ask the Consorci d'Educació or the city council. It covers pupils in public and concertada schools.

• You apply once a year, usually in spring or early summer.
• You can apply online, at the school or at the consell comarcal. Bring proof of your income and of who lives in your household.
• Eligibility depends on your household income per person, compared with a threshold. Children in social-services care get priority.
• The aid comes in tiers. Some pupils get the full comedor price covered, others about half.
• If your income falls during the school year, you may be able to ask later. The timeline below shows the steps.

Thresholds and deadlines change every year, so ask the consell comarcal for the current call.

School books

Cataluña has no free textbooks for everyone. Help is local:

• Many schools run a fons de llibres, often through the AMPA (the parents' association). Families lend or swap books.
• Some ajuntaments and consells comarcals give book and school-material aid, with income conditions.

Ask your school's AMPA and your ajuntament what exists where you live.

International schools

International schools in Barcelona are among the most expensive in Spain. Fees rise with age. They are lowest in the infant years and much higher for secondary and IB years. Enrolment, deposit and uniform charges come on top. Each school sets its fees and updates them every year, so ask each school for its current list before you compare.

The checklist and FAQ below cover the questions to ask and the documents to gather.

Timeline and deadlines

• Apply for comedor aid (ajut individual de menjador) online, at the school or at the consell comarcal, with proof of income and household: in the yearly window, usually in spring or early summer

• Ask for comedor aid late if your household income has fallen: later in the school year, after the first call

Checklist

• Ask each international school for its current fee list, including enrolment, deposit and uniform charges.

• Ask your concertada school what its voluntary quota covers and what comedor, transport and extras cost separately.

• Check the Departament d'Educació's current resolution on what concertada schools may charge.

• Ask your consell comarcal (or in Barcelona city, the Consorci d'Educació or city council) when the comedor aid window opens.

• Gather proof of your income and household for the comedor aid application.

• Ask your school's AMPA about its book fund, and your ajuntament about book aid.

Frequently asked questions

Can a concertada school in Cataluña refuse my child a place if I don't pay the quota?

No, a concertada school cannot refuse your child a place or take it away because you do not pay the quota. The quota is voluntary, and it is a donation for extra activities or services, not for teaching.

Are comedor and transport included in the concertada quota?

No, comedor, transport and extras are charged separately, and each one is optional. Ask the school for a list of what the quota covers and what costs extra before you enrol.

Who do I apply to for comedor aid in Cataluña, and when?

You apply for the ajut individual de menjador through the consell comarcal of your comarca, or in Barcelona city through the Consorci d'Educació or city council.

Does Cataluña give free school textbooks to all families?

No, Cataluña has no region-wide free textbook scheme. Most help comes from your school's book fund, often run by the AMPA (the parents' association), where families lend or swap books.