Regional and university scholarships worth checking

Terms used

• Comunidad autónoma — The comunidad autónoma is one of Spain's regions, each with its own government and education department.
• Empadronado — Empadronado means registered on the padrón, your town hall's list of residents.
• Exenciones de precios públicos — Exenciones de precios públicos are university fee waivers that reduce or cancel your tuition charges.
• BDNS — The BDNS is the national database of subsidies, which also lists aid calls.

Key rules

• Where to look: Regional aid is in each region's official bulletin and education department site; university aid is on the university's own site.
• Residence: Regional aid usually requires you to be registered in the region, sometimes for one to two years.
• Basque Country and Navarra: Both have their own grants alongside the national beca, and the Basque call generally also requires a national beca application.
• Read the bases: Every call sets its own residence, nationality and income conditions.

Where regional and university aid is published

Regional and university aid does not appear in national lists. You have to look for it yourself, in three places.

• The regional bulletin. Each comunidad autónoma publishes its student aid calls in its own official bulletin. Examples are BOJA in Andalucía, DOGC in Catalonia, DOGV in Valencia, BOCM in Madrid, DOG in Galicia, BOPV in the Basque Country and BON in Navarra. Search for "beca", "ayuda al estudio" and the academic year.
• The regional education or university department. Look for its "becas y ayudas" page. Some regions have a dedicated portal, such as AGAUR in Catalonia for university aid.
• The national subsidies database. The Base de Datos Nacional de Subvenciones (BDNS) also lists calls.

Universities publish their own scholarships and fee waivers (exenciones de precios públicos) on their websites. Look at the pages of the scholarships office (Servicio de Becas), the student vice-rectorate (Vicerrectorado de Estudiantes) or the international office. Calls also appear on the university's electronic notice board (tablón electrónico). Private universities usually run their own merit and need-based scholarships, and these are often open to international applicants.

Who qualifies

The rules differ by region and by university. Every call sets its own conditions, so read its bases (the rules of the call) before you apply.

Regional aid usually asks for the following:

• You are registered at a town hall in the region (empadronado). Often you must have been registered for a minimum period, such as one to two years before the call, or your family must live there.
• Some calls also require you to study in the region, or at a university there.
• Nationality is often broad. Spanish nationals, EU citizens and foreign nationals with legal residence in Spain are typical. Foreigners who do not live in Spain are usually excluded.

AGAUR grants in Catalonia, for example, require residence in Catalonia. Madrid and Andalucía have programmes that require residence in the region.

University aid generally requires you to be enrolled at that university and to meet academic and income conditions. Some aid is open to international students. This is most common for international mobility, master's scholarships and merit-based discounts. Other calls are limited to residents or to people with a Spanish residence permit.

Basque Country and Navarra

The Basque Country and Navarra run their own education grant systems. You can still apply for the national beca there.

• The Basque Government's education department runs its own call with its own income and academic limits. Applicants are generally required to apply for the national beca too, and the Basque grant tops up the state grant when it is awarded.
• Navarra's education department offers its own aid for university studies, with separate calls and rules. It also complements the national scheme.

The way the two systems combine is set in each year's call, so read it. The decision block below helps you choose.

When to look

Calls open at different times, generally between spring and autumn. Some regions open a call in spring or early summer. Others open in autumn or after the course starts. Many appear in the months around enrolment, from July to October. Catalonia's AGAUR calls and university grants tend to be open from summer to autumn. Some universities take requests for fee waivers and emergency aid throughout the year. Dates change every year, so check the bulletin or your university's scholarship page. The timeline below shows the order.

Choosing between options

Which grant system do you apply to if you live in the Basque Country or Navarra?

• Basque Government call: You live in the Basque Country. It has its own income and academic limits, and you generally also apply for the national beca.

• Navarra Government aid: You live in Navarra and study at university. It has separate calls and rules and complements the national scheme.

• National beca only: You live elsewhere in Spain, or the regional call does not suit you. Regional aid elsewhere follows each region's own call.

Apply for the national beca in every case, then add the regional call of the Basque Country or Navarra if you live there.

Funding sources compared by who can apply

Which schemes you can apply to

Who can apply is the first filter. Your residence in Spain decides which group of schemes is open to you.

If you already live in Spain

Start with the national general grant, then look at your region and your university.

• National grant: EU nationals are treated like Spaniards. Non-EU nationals must prove legal residence, such as a residence permit or student-stay status. Non-EU applicants may also have to show a minimum period of residence. Read the current call for the exact period and the accepted statuses.
• Regional grants: The residence period and the nationality rules differ in every region and every call. Catalonia, Madrid and Andalucía all run programmes that require you to live in the region. Foreigners with a valid permit are often accepted, so read the rules of each call.
• University aid: You need to be enrolled first. Ask your university's scholarships office which schemes admit international students.

If you are applying from abroad

The national and regional grants are generally closed to you, because they require legal residence in Spain. Look at these instead:

• Fundación Carolina and AECID scholarships. You usually need a degree, must not live in Spain, and must meet language and age requirements.
• Erasmus Mundus joint master's programmes, and Erasmus+ exchanges through your home university.
• Spanish language assistant programmes.
• Fee reductions that some regions and universities offer to international students.

How big the awards are

Every award is set in its own annual call, so no single figure applies. Compare what is covered. A scheme that pays tuition, a monthly stipend and insurance is worth far more than one that only reduces fees. For the national grant, check the current amounts with the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. For every other scheme, ask the body that runs it. Eligible countries, study areas and deadlines are also set each year.

Timeline and deadlines

• Check regional calls that open in spring or early summer: spring to early summer

• Watch for regional and university calls around enrolment: July to October

• Apply to calls that open later in the autumn or after the course starts: autumn or after the course begins

• Ask your university about fee waivers and emergency aid: throughout the year

Dates change each year and depend on each body, so confirm them in the bulletin or on the university's scholarship page.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find regional student aid calls?

You find regional aid calls in the official bulletin of your comunidad autónoma and on its education or university department website.

Do I need to be registered in the region to get regional aid?

Yes, most regional aids require you to be registered (empadronado) in the region, often for one to two years before the call. Some also require you to study there. Non-resident foreigners are usually excluded, so read the bases of each call.

Can I apply for the Basque or Navarra grant as well as the national grant?

Yes, students in the Basque Country and Navarra can apply for their regional grant and the national beca.

Can international students get university scholarships and fee waivers?

Yes, some university aids are open to international students, especially mobility aid, master's scholarships and merit discounts. Others require residence or a Spanish permit. Look on the university's scholarship service page or its electronic notice board.