National Information

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OVERVIEW

In Spain all students pay fees.
Fee differentiation applies for specific fields of study.
Waivers and reductions are applicable.
Direct financial support is offered in the form of grants. Loans are not available.
Indirect financial support to students and their families is not provided.

Academic year
Type of support

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Minimum, maximum, and most common annual fee amounts (in EUR)

Cycle
Type of Students
Status of Students

FEES

Short cycle students don't pay tuition fees, but they do pay administrative fees.
Only two autonomous communities, Madrid and Cataluña, charge tuition fees in short cycles (Ciclos Formativos de FP Grado Superior).
Students from some autonomous communities pay more than others for the same amount of ECTS, since public prices are set at a regional level.
The field of study influences the price per ECTS that students pay, with students from health and engineering degrees usually paying more per credit than students from humanities and social sciences degrees. In the case of short cycles, tuition is free in most autonomous communities, but in two of them, students must pay for tuition fees.
Students with extended length of study in first and second cycles, pay more and for each re-take of subject/credits. This increase varies among the autonomous communities.
Some autonomous communities charge different fees to international students, but data is not available.
The most common fee reported is average.
The autonomous communities generally set the prices for second cycle's degrees. However, they establish exceptional prices for certain specific second cycle's programmes that have not been considered in the calculation of maximum prices, as only a small number of students pursue them.
The minimum and maximum fee (first and second cycles) is calculated using respectively the lowest and the highest ECTS price, considering standard performance across all autonomous communities and fields of study, as well as the typical annual number of credits.
The maximum – insufficient credits/extended length of studies is calculated using the highest ECTS price, considering poor performance (re-taken ECTS) across all autonomous communities and fields of study, as well as the typical annual number of credits.
Students who benefit from free tuition fees because they are scholarship holders are included as payers in the reported shares.
Waivers and reductions are available based on academic performance and socio-economic criteria.

Annual grant amounts (in EUR)

Cycle
Type of Students
Status of Students
Type of Grants

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - GRANTS

Need-based grants are available to home and international full and part-time students, paid in sole instalment covering 12 months period.
A fixed amount is related to: income, residence/accommodation of the student during the academic year, excellence.
A variable amount component is calculated by weighing the student's average grade and income, so it is different for each student.
Part time students can only apply for fee waiver and the minimum amount of the variable component (EUR 60)
Data on shares for 2023/2024 is not available
There is no age limit for award of grants

Annual loan amounts (in EUR)

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - LOANS

Loans are not available

Further readings

National education systems - Spain | Eurydice (europa.eu)

Organisation of the Academic Year in Higher Education

Waivers and reductions