2025

New Legal Framework for Higher Education Institutions

A new Legal Framework for Higher Education Institutions was approved to substitute  the one in force since 2007, via a draft bill submitted to Parliament in February 2024. The four main areas of change are: the binary university/polytechnic system and rationalisation of the network; autonomy; governance; and other changes, such as limits on recruiting doctoral graduates by the institution awarding the degree or opening up the evaluation and accreditation processes for institutions and their courses to national accreditation agencies from EU member states.

For more information, see Chapter 7: Higher education

2024

Student Accommodation Now

Due to the accommodation situation for higher education students worsening, in September 2024, the government created a total of 709 accommodation units in 22 Pousadas da Juventude  (youth hostels) and four INATEL units. This involves 25 higher education institutions that have signed Student Accommodation Now agreements. This year, these protocols cost 900,000 euros, rising to two million euros next year. The aim of this policy is to reduce the impact of the delay in building new university halls of residence in Portugal and to reduce the drop-out rate due to the high cost of accommodation.

In addition to this measure, the government has created a line of credit worth 5.5 million euros, which is available to higher education institutions to find more beds through protocols with public, private or social organisations.

For more information, see the government’s website.

Psychologist Voucher and Nutritionist Voucher

Currently, around 11 per cent of students entering higher education drop out by the end of their first year. Convinced that this situation can be counteracted by improving students’ well-being and quality of life, the government signed protocols with psychologist and nutritionist associations at the beginning of September 2024. These agreements provide 100,000 psychology and 50,000 nutritionist consultations at higher education institutions, costing 2.250 million euros this year, which will rise to 5.625 million euros in 2025.

For more information, see government’s website.

More support for higher education students 

To increase the number of students studying higher education programmes, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation has made changes to the regulation concerning public financial support and grants to higher education students. 

These changes introduced aim to make grants and financial support programmes more suitable to the real socio-economic situation of students, promoting success and reducing the number of early leavers in higher education. 

The changes offer benefits for working students, increase the number of students eligible to receive financial support for accommodation when studying away from home, while reducing the time it takes for students already enrolled in short-cycle higher education courses (higher professional technical courses) to start receiving a grant.

Some of these changes reflect the measures already approved of the You Have a Future in Portugal (Tens Futuro em Portugal) programme launched in May 2024 , which aims to support young people.

The revised regulation will be implemented during the next academic year (2024/2025).

For more information, see the Government’s Website. 

Revision of the scientific research statute

A legislative proposal to revise the Scientific Research Career Statute (ECIC) is being finalised for consideration by the Council of Ministers in September 2024. The new statute will make research careers in Portugal more attractive for doctoral graduates and more aligned with the European Union’s guiding principles, moving the career of scientific research closer to that of higher education teacher, offering greater inter-career mobility 

The aim is for the thousand or so PhD researchers to be hired via the first edition of the  FCT - Tenure recruitment to be clear about the career they are embarking upon. FCT - Tenure is a tool that offers professional stability to researchers and their areas of research, as well as creating a more attractive and sustainable career horizon for professionals at the start of their careers. 

The award applies to young workers resident in Portugal, up to the age of 35 at the time the award is bestowed and who have obtained a first cycle degree and/or master's degree from Portuguese higher education institutions (public or private) from the year 2023 (inclusive) onwards. The rules apply to the same academic degrees obtained abroad, provided they are recognised in Portugal.

This support is designed for young people who have category A (dependent work) or category B (self-employed) income. They must have submitted their income tax return within the legal deadline, as well as having their tax situation regularised. 

The award can also be solicited by first graduates and holders of master’s degrees who obtained their qualifications before 2023, provided that the number of years that have elapsed since the degree was awarded is fewer than the number of years of the cycle of studies.

2023

Creation of the Cyber Academia and Innovation Hub

The government created the Cyber Academia and Innovation Hub (CAIH), a non-profit association, via Decree-Law No. 34/2023, 23 May to encourage an alignment of interests between industry, the business community, higher education institutions and public administration, specifically the Ministry of Defence.

Focussed on implementing cybersecurity and cyber-defence policies associated with national security and defence, CAIH's mission is to act in the public interest, promoting training and exercises, as well as boosting research, development and innovation in the field of cyberspace. By doing so, it aims to support the national and international ecosystem with the knowledge and skills needed by a new generation of professionals, as well as supporting capabilities regarding cybersecurity and cyber-defence.

In addition to defence, CAIH includes bodies in other governmental areas, such as home affairs, justice, economy and the sea, education, science, technology, higher education and digitisation, and administrative modernisation.

Read here for more information.

More higher education places for deprived students

Deprived students are underrepresented in the higher education system overall, as well as in the most competitive courses. To solve the problem, starting next academic year (2023/2024), over 2,000 National Access System places will be allocated to deprived students.

To this end, those students benefiting from Social Support level A who apply to the National Access System will be prioritised in the allocation of at least two places in each study cycle (2% of the places). 

Although this is a pilot scheme and not compulsory for public higher education institutions, all decided to be involved, marking another step towards equity of access to higher education in Portugal.

For more information, see the Government website. 

Setting places in higher education

At the end of May, the number of places for special applications and special regimes with regard to public and private higher education (2023-2024) were divulged, thus setting the places for all admission paths.

In addition to the 54 733 places already announced in early April for the general access system, there are now 20 943 more places available in public higher education, distributed among the different special application systems for the over-23s, international students, holders of higher education and post-secondary qualifications, those changing courses, graduates of vocationally oriented courses and graduate entry to medical school. These places also include special regimes for students from Portuguese-speaking African countries and East Timor, as well as for high-level sportspeople, among other situations.

As for private higher education, in addition to setting 17 592 places through the general admission system (institutional application systems), a further 5 564 places are offered in special admissions applications for candidates over 23 years old, international students, holders of higher education and post-secondary qualifications, those changing courses and graduates of vocationally oriented courses.

For the next academic year (2023/2024), there will be a total of 98 832 places available in higher education.

Revision of the higher education access system

Following the reflection and public discussion phases regarding revision of the higher education access system between October 2022 and February 2023, the main policy measures include the following:

• notification of places for the general admission regime and all special applications will now take place in the first quarter of the year (predominantly in January), four or five months earlier than the current schedule
• diversified access routes to HEI and institutions’ greater autonomy and accountability have been greatly enhanced with a) the simplification of guidelines and limits determining places for the general regime and special applications, b) with the reduction of exceptional situations, c) with fewer criteria for limiting the autonomy of the HEI but d) with greater demands and regulation regarding the limits of study cycle accreditation
• bringing forward the entire calendar for national access placements, ensuring a minimum 15-day gap between first phase placements and the beginning of teaching (currently non-existent) and all other students placed by the CNA (national admission application) during September, ensuring that all new students begin at practically the same time. This policy means that students placed in the second and third phases avoiding losing three and six weeks of classes respectively
• increasing the number of entrance examinations required for the national admission application system to two or three. This is to be defined by higher education institutions, with the CNAES (National Commission on Access to Higher Education) or legislation able to set the list of examinations in certain areas (e.g. engineering, medicine)
• altering the formula for calculating the application grade for the national admission application system, which will now consider:
  • the final upper secondary education grade counting for no less than 40%
  • the entrance examination grades counting for no less than 45%, with the weight of each entrance examination varying between 15% and 30%
  • when required, the grade for seriation prerequisites, counting no more than 15%
  • the weight of the entrance examinations cannot be less than the weight of the final upper secondary school grade.
• creating a priority quota of underprivileged students, with 2% of places for each study cycle (or 2 places) for beneficiaries of level A school social assistance
• extending the priority quota for emigrant candidates, family members who live with them and Portuguese descendants to the second phase of the national admission application. As such, this category of candidate can still be admitted in the first stage (up to 7% of the initial places of the first stage in each institution/study cycle pair) and 3.5% in the second stage.
• increasing the number of places for candidates over 23 years old, establishing a minimum number of 5% of all the places established, considering all admission routes, whereas previously it was 5% of general admission places.

Supporting refugee students from Ukraine in higher education

Portugal supports war victims and the reconstruction of Ukraine, helping those affected to continue studying and working in the country, integrating refugees in higher education institutions, regardless of their nationality. Applying the status of student in emergency situations for humanitarian reasons has guaranteed refugee students:

• exceptional parity with Portuguese students regarding payment of the various fees (e.g. tuition)
• access to scholarships, meals in canteens and bars, accommodation and access to health services
• when qualifications cannot be proven using documents, higher education institutions can undertake alternative procedures to verify such claims via the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees
• a waiver of legalisation formalities for documents issued by foreign entities, certification or authentication of translations into Portuguese of documents written in a foreign language, certification of copies, exemption of taxes and fees

By 28 February 2023, 327 students who have taken refuge from the military conflict in Ukraine have enrolled in higher education. 134 graduates are enrolled on courses to complete the training pathways necessary to access a regulated profession where their degree is not sufficient, while 300 Ukrainian academic degrees have been recognised and 1.8 million euros in scholarships are planned. These efforts will be continued as long as necessary, so that no one loses hope for a future of peace and prosperity.

Support measures for students in higher education

In addition to the measures taken in 2022/23, which extended the number of beneficiaries, increased grants and created new types of support for displaced students, the following measures were taken for 2023/24 academic year:

• Extension of the eligibility threshold from €9 484.27 per capita annual income to €11 049.89 (corresponding to 23 social support index - IAS). This includes the entire number of beneficiaries of family allowance, up to and including the 3rd level;
• Definition of a higher eligibility threshold for student workers and students who have earned income, particularly during holiday periods. This corresponds to the general threshold plus €1 520 (2 minimum monthly wages);
• Bringing forward automatic award decisions on scholarship applications submitted by students receiving family allowance up to the 3rd level and who have applied to the CNA (national admission application) for the placement phase (subject to the student enrolling and registering at a higher education institution);
• Increasing the minimum scholarship amount for students enrolled in master's programmes, ensuring that this amount is identical in the 1st cycle and the 2nd cycle (125% of the tuition fee actually paid);
• Maintaining, as a permanent measure, the increase in accommodation supplements, approved as an extraordinary measure in 2022/23;
• Renewal of support for students under temporary protection from the military conflict in Ukraine,  maintaining the maximum grant and any supplements. This also means extending social support, under the same conditions, to students from Syria suffering a humanitarian emergency. This also applies to Afghan refugees, so that they can continue their studies in Portuguese higher education, due to the fact they cannot in their countries of origin;
• Extension of the +Superior Programme to master's degrees, according to the same eligibility conditions as the other types of study cycles and to all students enrolled in the study cycles and HEIs covered, even if they do not apply or have applied for support in the year of their placement.

Programme to promote good mental health in higher education students

In conjunction with the National Mental Health Programme and the Ministry of Health, the Programme to Promote Good Mental Health in Higher Education Students will be launched in the 2022/2023 academic year. This programme will support HEIs to consolidate psychological support mechanisms for students and implement early intervention strategies and a preventive approach.

Programme to promote success and reduce dropouts in higher education

Focussing primarily on new students, this programme has been launched to promote success and reduce dropouts, employing a tutor and mentor. The programme initially approved applications from 24 higher education institutions, funding projects with over 6.6 million euros from the European Social Fund was later opened to the regions of Lisbon, Algarve, Azores and Madeira having approved applications from 13 institutions located there and a project funding of more than 3.6 million euros.

The projects focus on the academic integration of first-time students in higher education, adhering to scientific evidence that indicates this particular year as decisive for preventing failure and dropout.

Several publicly funded projects are underway, such as dropout prediction mechanisms based on artificial intelligence. They have been developed using the HEI’s experience and knowledge of such phenomena, prizing the experience accumulated in mentoring and tutoring programmes, centring efforts on the integration and monitoring of groups more prone to failure and dropout.

Extraordinary scholarship consolidation

Considering the cost of living, and to offset the effect of inflation on students' spending power, the following measures were decided in December 2022 and will take effect, extraordinarily, in the 2022-2023 academic year:

• a 10% increase in grants for higher education students on a scholarship
• a 5% increase in accommodation supplements when these scholarship holders are displaced
• a 50% increase in mobility supplements for scholarship holders undertaking Erasmus mobility programmes
• specific accommodation costs support for all displaced public and private higher education students from families earning the national minimum wage (calculated by their inclusion in the third family allowance scale) and who do not have a scholarship, extending housing support (currently only available to scholarship students belonging to households with income up to €9,484.27 per capita, per year) to all households with income up to €10,548.16 per capita, per year.

National higher education accommodation plan (PNAES)

The National Higher Education Accommodation Plan (PNAES - Plano nacional para o alojamento no ensino superior) is the largest investment ever in student accommodation and the largest investment in higher education buildings in recent decades. The initial allocation of €375 million was boosted with another €72 million for construction and building renovation that will house over 18,000 beds. In 2026 there will be more than 26,000 beds for students. Comparing 2021 and 2026, the number of residences will increase from 157 to 246, and the number of beds from 15,073 to 26,868, an increase of 78% on current capacity.

Increase in the number of places in higher education

Given the country’s qualification goals and the high number of candidates able to enter higher education, extraordinary measures were needed to boost the places available through the general admission application, much like the last two years. This consolidation sought to highlight courses with the greatest demand, with the greatest number of first-option applicants and highest application grades. The number of places initially set for the 2022 national admission application represented an increase of 2.6% compared to the previous year.

A total of 49,806 new students were placed in the first phase of the national admission application for the 2022-2023 academic year in public higher education, with 84% placed in one of their first three options. The total of places represents the second highest number since 1989, with 81% of the national admission application candidates placed, increasing the placement rate by 4% compared to 2021 and demonstrating a growing match between student demand and institutional supply.

The number of students placed in institutions located in regions with lower population density increased by 6% (13,351 students placed), with several institutions in the country’s interior boosting numbers compared with the previous year.

A total of 7,327 students were placed on courses in the areas of digital skills, data sciences and advanced information systems, space sciences and technologies and aerospace engineering, which represents an increase of 9% compared to 2021.

Admission of vocational education students into higher education

In the 2022/23 academic year, 2,572 new places on 516 first-cycle and integrated master's degrees were made available to students who completed upper secondary education through vocational pathways and specialised artistic courses.