From this March 27 to May 17, both inclusive, the period to request the MEC 2023 scholarships will be open. These aids designed to facilitate access to education once the compulsory stage is over can be received by both students bachelor’s or master’s degrees as well as by students who continue their education away from the university.

At the time of publication of the call, the Government estimated that the average amount for each student who receives it will be 1,730 euros for non-university students and 3,130 for university students. Nearly one million students are expected to benefit to a greater or lesser extent from this year’s program. For university students, the award of the scholarship covers the amount of the credits for which the student enrolls for the first time. In the case of non-university training, at least one student with a scholarship receives 300 euros. These are the keys to request them.

What studies are covered by the scholarships?

• Bachelor’s and Master’s degree courses
• University preparation course for over 25s
• First and second year of high school
• Intermediate and advanced vocational training
• Professional artistic education
• sports teachings
• higher artistic education
• higher religious studies
• Language studies carried out in official schools owned by educational administrations
• Access and preparation courses for the subsequent study of professional training
• Basic degree training cycles

How to apply for scholarships?

The application must be completed using the form accessible electronically. The system asks to identify yourself. It can be done through [email protected], or, with the DNI and the password assigned in the account of the electronic headquarters of the Ministry. The following link is where you can proceed to register for the first time.

Once completed, the application has to be signed by the beneficiary or by their legal representative. The signature is done by including certain data from the identity document. The Ministry places special emphasis on keeping the receipt of the application safe, so that, if necessary, it can prove that it was submitted on time and in due form.

In principle, unless the Ministry of Education itself requests it, it is not necessary to attach documentation to the application, since it is the body itself that, if authorized to do so, is in charge of obtaining it from the rest of the administrations.

If you are unclear about eligibility, it pays to apply for the scholarship. The Ministry explains that “neither the application nor any of the procedures entails any cost for the applicant.”

General requirements

The first is to be enrolled in one of the studies covered by the scholarships, those mentioned at the beginning of this article. Likewise, the Ministry establishes that those who already have a degree of a similar or higher level than the study in which they are enrolled will not be eligible for a scholarship. In other words, if you already have a bachelor’s degree, you cannot apply for a scholarship for another degree, but instead you can apply for a master’s degree.

Another general requirement is to be Spanish or possess the nationality of a Member State of the European Union. In the case of the latter, it is requested that they have the status of permanent residents or that they prove that they are self-employed or employed. These requirements are not required to obtain the tuition scholarship. The requirements of this class, like those of the others, must have been met by December 31, 2022. In the case of non-EU foreigners, if they have a residence permit, they can request the scholarships.

What do the MEC scholarships include?

MEC university scholarships cover the cost of credits enrolled for the first time.

The Ministry’s scholarships are also made up of a fixed amount based on income of up to 1,700 euros. Students of baccalaureate, professional training, undergraduate and university master’s degrees, students of professional and higher artistic education, as well as those of higher religious studies and sports studies can opt for this.

Beyond this fixed aid based on income, a residence supplement is given for students who have had to move from the family home of a maximum of 2,500 euros. It can be perceived by students of the same formations mentioned in the previous paragraph. To receive it, the student must prove the need to reside outside the family home.

Also, an extra figure for academic excellence of between 50 and 125 euros is given for exceeding an average of 8, as well as a variable allocation, which depends on the surplus of the budget item, the student’s income and the average grade that got the last course.

Economic requirements

Since the scholarships are designed to prevent not having enough money from being an insurmountable impediment when it comes to accessing education, it is not surprising that the economic requirements are the ones that mainly act as a filter.

The Ministry takes into account the economic situation of the student’s family unit from the previous year. By this, it is understood in the computation the parents, the applicant, the single siblings under 25 years of age. To be considered a computable member, the cohabitation at the family home must be established on December 31, 2022. In the event of divorce, the person who does not live with the scholarship applicant is not taken into account. If you are under joint custody, both parents are taken into account.

When determining the level of “wealth”, they look at four sections: income, property value, income from movable capital and income from participation in entities.

The income is guided by some scales that are published in what is known as the threshold decree.

These same thresholds are not only used to determine whether or not you are entitled to the scholarship, they are used to set the amount of it and the items to which you can opt. Explaining it with an example.

A family unit of three members with a child in university cannot exceed 34,352 euros between all of them to be eligible for the scholarship. If they obtain, for example, 34,000 euros a year, they can only be entitled to receive the tuition scholarship and the academic excellence scholarship if applicable. On the other hand, if that same family unit is below threshold 1, that is, less than 17,742 euros per year, they will receive, at least, 1,700 euros as a fixed amount of income, as well as tuition coverage. They can receive the residency grant and the academic excellence grant if it applies to them. They would also charge a larger variable amount.

However, it must be taken into account that when calculating the aforementioned income thresholds, the Ministry sets a series of deductions.

In order to receive the scholarship, in addition to not exceeding the income thresholds, it is necessary that a certain value of real estate is not exceeded without taking into account in the computation the habitual family residence (the sum of the value of the urban or rural properties that are may not exceed 42,900 euros). That there is no net income from movable capital plus the capital gains of the family unit greater than 1,700 euros and that there is no income from economic activities or participation in entities that exceeds 155,500 euros.

academic requirements

On the academic side, a minimum level of enrolled subjects is requested and more than a 5 grade in previous studies in some cases.

It is convenient to be clear about the distinctions made by the Ministry when detailing the requirements. On the one hand, they divide between university and non-university studies. Then, they establish some academic requirements for the first year and others for the second and subsequent ones, if any.

Below is a detailed list of what is required from the Ministry for each specific case.

First-year university academic requirements

The student must enroll for 60 credits. You can also have a scholarship, with some limitations and special requirements, if you enroll for at least 30 credits. It is necessary to have a minimum grade of at least 5 points in the test or teaching that has given access to the university.

University academic requirements for the second and subsequent years

To the duty to be enrolled for at least the same number of credits as in the previous course, is added the fact that they have had to pass a percentage of the subjects that varies depending on the branch of knowledge. In engineering and architecture, a 65% pass rate is required, in health sciences, 80%, in social and legal sciences, arts and humanities, 90%.

First year non-university academic requirements

• Baccalaureate. It is necessary to have an average grade of at least 5 points in 4th ESO or in the final grade of the Intermediate or Basic Grade training cycle that has given access. Enroll in the full course or at least half of the subjects and not be repeating the current course.
• Formative Cicle of medium grade. Enroll in the full course or half of the modules and not be repeating the current course.
• Higher education training cycle. Have an average grade of at least 5 points in the second year of Baccalaureate, in the entrance exam or in the access course. If accessed from a medium-level training cycle, the final mark of the cycle is taken into account. Enroll in the full course or half of the modules. Not be repeating in the current course.
• Professional music and dance lessons. Enroll in the full course or half of the subjects. Not be repeating in the current course.
• Teaching in official language schools. Enroll in the full course. Not be repeating in the current course.
• Higher artistic education and other non-university higher studies. Enroll in the full course or half of the subjects. Have 5 points in the test or access course.

Non-university academic requirements for the second and subsequent years

• Baccalaureate. Don’t be repeating Enroll in the full course or at least half of the subjects and have passed all the subjects first, allowing one to fail.
• Formative Cicle of medium grade. Don’t be repeating Enroll in the full course or at least half of the modules. Have passed at least 85% of the first year.
• Higher education training cycle. Don’t be repeating Enroll in the full course or at least half of the modules. Have passed at least 85% of the first year.
• Professional music and dance lessons. Don’t be repeating Enroll in the full course or at least half of the subjects and have passed all the subjects in the first year, allowing one to fail.
• Teaching in official language schools. Don’t be repeating Enroll in the full course.
• Higher artistic education and other non-university higher studies. Enroll in the full course or at least half of the subjects. Approve the minimum number of credits established in the call. It is 90%.

In which cases must the scholarship be returned?

For university studies, if the registration is cancelled, the student withdraws from the study center during the course or the final project is not presented within two years from the date of resolution of the scholarship, it must be returned everything that has been received in the last time it was granted.

In the case of non-university studies, it must be returned if you withdraw from the study center during the course. If 80% or more of the class hours are not attended or if 50% of the subjects are not passed.

What to do in case of doubt?

If you have doubts regarding the call for the scholarship, the Ministry makes available several ways to contact them to resolve them. Doubts can be submitted by phone at 910 837 937 from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Also in person and electronically. This link summarizes all these forms of contact. There is also a section available where frequently asked questions are answered.

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