Boost For Students: Spain Approves Hike In Scholarship Aid
Spain News
Published: 22 February 2023 14:21 CET
The Spanish government has approved new legislation that increases the amount of aid for students and moves up the application date for scholarships by four months.
On Tuesday, February 21st, the Council of Ministers in Spain approved a new royal decree to regulate student scholarships for the upcoming academic year 2023-2024. This means that students will soon be able to find out whether they qualify for financial aid for education.
Under the new legislation, the amount of scholarship funds that a student will receive will be determined by several factors, including family income, tuition fees, academic performance, and place of residence.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on February 18th that the government will allocate 2.5 billion euros towards scholarships, marking the highest figure to date, with the aim of reaching over one million young people. This amount accounts for 40 percent of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training's entire budget.
Sánchez stated that the government has increased investment by 1 billion euros compared to the previous administration under Mariano Rajoy, and raised the scholarship amount by 70 percent, resulting in an 18 percent increase from 2022. The scholarship will benefit both university and non-university students during the 2023-2024 academic year.
One innovative development that has been introduced this year, is that students with specific educational needs can now get 400 euros in aid, regardless of their family income. This will help families deal with the rising costs. To make this happen, the Government is setting aside 200 million euros specifically for students with disabilities. This will help make education more inclusive and benefit 250,000 students.
The royal decree justifies the universal subsidy, by acknowledging the significant extra costs that families with children having specific educational support needs incur to meet their requirements, especially during the current economic conditions.
The aim of this subsidy is to ensure equal access to education and prevent any socio-economic barriers that may hinder or prevent exercising this fundamental right. The decree adheres to the principle of proportionality, and it does not impose obligations or restrict rights of its recipients. The universal subsidy will be added to the existing call for aid, resulting in an additional increase in financial support.
Another development is the increase in the scholarship provided to students who pursue their education outside of their home, rising from the present 1,600 euros to 2,500 euros.
This increase aims to facilitate students' continuation of studies in locations other than their hometown, with a special focus on rural families, particularly in depopulated regions of Spain where their children need to relocate and reside in other cities to undertake post-compulsory studies.
Sources
https://www.thelocal.es/20230222/spain-approves-increase-in-scholarship-aid-for-students/
https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2023-02-21/gobierno-becas-ayuda-universal-necesidades-apoyo-traslado_3579739/
