The amount of scholarships and grants granted by the educational administrations in the 2017-2018 academic year exceeded 2,172 million euros, with 69.4% of that amount corresponding to the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.
A total of 2,296,065 students received scholarships or grants from the educational administrations in the 2017-2018 academic year. The figure represents an increase of 4% over the previous period, as revealed by the Scholarship statistics and study aid 2017-2018 published today by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and that collects data from all levels of the education system, both non-university and university.
Of those fellows, 1,012,682 received funding from the Ministry – beneficiaries of the state scholarship system, including those of large families; aid for books and school supplies; of collaborative scholarships; of various calls for aid for foreign language courses; of the contribution to the Erasmus + program, and of internships in companies abroad (FARO scholarships) -.
Compared to the 2016-2017 academic year, the greatest increases in the total number of beneficiaries occurred in compulsory education, early childhood education and special education, with 5.9% more scholarship holders, and in university education, with an increase of 2 , 6%.
The total amount of scholarships and grants granted by all educational administrations exceeded 2,172 million euros, corresponding to the Ministry 69.4% of that figure (more than 1,507 million euros).
These amounts represent an increase of 2% over the previous year. The largest increase occurred in compulsory education, education and special education, specifically, in the financing of the ministry (8.4% more), and in university education, especially in the financing carried out by the autonomous communities (an increase 8.3%). The amount of scholarships and grants for non-university post-compulsory education decreased 0.2% compared to the previous period.
Regarding the distribution of these amounts, those for university education represent about half of the total amount, 46.5%. They are followed by post-compulsory non-university education, with 26.8% of the total, and compulsory education, early childhood education and special education, with 26.7%.
Attending to the beneficiaries, 54.2% are scholars of compulsory education, early childhood education and special education; 25% are university scholars, and 20.9% are post-compulsory non-university scholars.
The statistic also collects data from financing systems for books and school supplies other than scholarships (free programs and other book programs at mandatory levels), the total amount exceeding 149 million euros, with 2,242,885 beneficiaries.
Scholarships and grants for the 2019-2020 academic year
Regarding the calls for scholarships and grants for the 2019-2020 academic year that will soon be made public by the ministry and that will benefit more than 800,000 students – beneficiaries of the state scholarship system, excluding those of large families – the Council of Ministers approved on July 12 the Royal Decree of Thresholds that establishes the income and family equity thresholds and the amounts for the 2019-2020 academic year. The norm will facilitate that there is a greater number of applicants with right to scholarship, as well as more scholarship holders of higher amounts.
This Royal Decree, jointly prepared by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, contemplates that, in this course, the initial budget of 1,470 million euros will be extended by approximately 40 million in order to attend 17,000 fellows, who will receive a scholarship for the first time or who will receive a higher amount under the reforms introduced in the calculation of the Income Tax for Individuals by the General State Budget Act for 2018.