A total of 110,448 students from Extremadura received a scholarship from the Ministry between the 2019/2020 and 2022/2023 courses (the last with updated statistical data). In that time, the Government of Spain has invested 256,787,000 euros in the educational scholarship program in the region, an amount that includes aid for all types of education: from Early Childhood Education to the University.

The scholarship program of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports is a priority for the Government of Spain, a fact that is demonstrated in the evolution that the data in the region published by the Ministry itself have experienced. Between 2019 and 2023, the amount earmarked for scholarships by the Ministry has grown by 46.33%, going from 51,539,000 euros in the 2019/2020 academic year to 75,418,000 euros in the 2022/2023 academic year. That is, in four courses the budget of the Government of Spain for scholarships in Extremadura has grown by 23.8 million euros.

This increase has a clear impact on the average amount received by each Extremadura student awarded a scholarship by the Ministry, which has grown by 30% since the 2019/2020 academic year. In the academic year 2022/2023, the average amount was 2,822 euros, 872.56 euros more than in 2019.

As for the number of scholarship holders in Extremadura, the evolution is also increasing. On average, the ministry has awarded scholarships to 27,612 students from the region each year between 2019 and 2023. In that time, the number of students awarded scholarships by the Ministry has increased by 11.95%. Of the total of 110,448 students who received scholarships in that time slot in Extremadura, 85% of them received grants funded by the Government of Spain, while the remaining 15% were from the Junta de Extremadura.

Types of educational stages

The scholarships granted both by the Government of Spain and by the regional administrations include several educational stages: Compulsory Education, Early Childhood Education and Special Education; Post-compulsory Non-university Education; and University Education. In Extremadura, the Ministry grants 96.5% of its scholarships to post-compulsory stages (Baccalaureate, FP and university), while the Junta de Extremadura focuses on the early stages of educational life: Compulsory education, Early Childhood Education and Special Education (73.84%).

If one takes the academic year 2022/2023 (the last of which there are statistical records) as a reference, it can be observed that, of the 32,269 scholarships awarded between the Government of Spain and the Junta de Extremadura, almost half (15,529) were destined for non-university post-compulsory education, of which 15,201 were financed by the Ministry. For its part, university scholarships accounted for 36% of the total and those of Compulsory, Infant and Special Education, 14%.

For the same course, both administrations allocated a total of 81.04 million euros to scholarships. Of this amount, 38.44 million were invested in non-university post-compulsory education (mainly Baccalaureate and FP), of which 99.5% was paid by the Government of Spain. In university education, the global allocation was 36.72 million, with a contribution of 97.8% from the Ministry. For its part, in the Compulsory Education, Early Childhood Education and Special Education scholarships amounted to a total amount of 5.87 million euros, of which 20.86% corresponded to the central government.

Covering all types of education, the average amount of aid per Extremadura scholar for the academic year 2022/2023 was 2,511.39. The university education received the highest contribution per student, with 3,206.75 euros on average. The non-university post-compulsory education fellows had, on average, an aid of 2,475.46 euros, while, in the Compulsory Education, Early Childhood Education and Special Education Fellows, 1,111.01 euros were allocated per fellow.

Overall, the average amount of scholarships per student from Extremadura increased by 646.26 euros between 2019 and 2023 (34.65% more). The increase is especially significant in non-university post-compulsory education, with an increase of 873.79 euros (54.55%), and in compulsory education, with 369.59 euros more (34.65%). For its part, the average amount per student in university education has grown by 762.29 euros, an increase of 31.18%.

Extension of the application deadline

The deadline for applying for scholarships for the general call for applications for the 2025/2026 academic year has been extended until May 30 at 3 p.m. Scholarships can be requested through the electronic headquarters of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports.

Students who are going to take baccalaureate, Vocational Training, artistic, sports, language or university studies, among others, must fill in a series of provisional data, which they can modify later, and they must do so even if they do not yet know the notes that will obtain this course, what they are going to study in the one that comes or whether or not they are going to continue their training.

Among the novelties of the call is the improvement of the amount associated with the residence, with an increase of 200 euros that places it at 2,700 euros (in the call 2023/2024 it went from 1,600 to 2,500 euros). The national forecasts are that around 101,000 students, most of them from rural areas, will be able to travel outside their municipalities to continue their training thanks to this aid. In addition, students of higher artistic education are equated to university students, which will benefit some 7,000 young people. Fixed amounts also increase by 25% for those university students or students with higher artistic education who demonstrate a disability of 25% to 65%; a measure that complements the measure already applied to students with disabilities equal to or greater than 65%.

In the case of students from the areas affected by DANA, State subsidies received for this reason will not be taken into account in the calculation of property returns. Likewise, the academic requirements are made more flexible for those older people who prove that they are victims of sexual violence, to equip them for minors in the same situation and for victims of gender violence.

All this can be done thanks to a record budget of 2,544 million euros. This is the eighth consecutive increase in the national budget allocated by the Government to scholarships and study grants, which has increased by more than 1.1 billion euros since 2017; more than 80%.

On the other hand, the call for grants for students with a specific need for educational support, which was opened on April 30, will remain open until September 11. For the first time, applications will be made electronically, filling out the form accessible through the Ministry’s electronic headquarters.