How to finance your studies in Spain?

As in France, in Spain there are private schools and public universities and schools.

As you can probably imagine, university fees will vary depending on this status.

The annual price range you will find will vary from 1 to 60 depending on the studies you want to do in Spain and the universities you choose to study in or that will be accessible to you.

We will, for example, talk about an annual fee of :

2. Plus or minus 2,000 euros of annual tuition to study at one of the public universities in the district of Madrid for which we can accompany you, if your academic results and your level of Spanish allow it.
3. More or less 6,000 euros per year (over 2 years) for the audioprosthesis course in private universities
4. More or less 10,000 euros per year (over 4 years) for the physiotherapy curriculum in private universities.
5. More than 20,000 euros per year (over 6 years) for certain courses such as: dental in English, medicine, veterinary medicine in private universities.

So you can see that from a 12,000 euro tuition budget to obtain a diploma in audioprosthetics (in 2 years) to a 120,000 euro tuition budget to complete medical studies (in 6 years), the difference is very large.

It is even more so when it comes to comparing the fees of the public university system and the Spanish private university system.

How can such large price differences be explained?

1. Public universities are largely financed by the taxes paid by Spanish taxpayers and private universities are financed by the students enrolled in them.
2. The curriculum: Some curricula require a lot of equipment (a simulated hospital, veterinary clinic) and others much less (a simple classroom and an overhead projector).
3. Geographical location: Universities set their prices according to the Spanish clientele. In Spain the average income is very different from one region to another and the prices are therefore adapted to the geographical area in which the university is located. French students pay the same price as Spanish students.
4. The targeted socio-economic sector: In a given geographical area, universities determine a target clientele, and their price positioning will therefore be adapted to the targeted public.
5. The secular or religious nature of the institution: A Catholic university in Spain can benefit from significant tax advantages that are sometimes reflected in the tuition fees. In exchange for lower tuition fees in these private universities than in secular private universities, you will have to take "religion" courses and validate this subject to obtain your degree.

In addition to your annual tuition, you will need to add your day-to-day expenses, such as :

• Rent
• Energy costs (gas, electricity, water)
• Insurance
• Food
• Internet-telephone
• Your miscellaneous expenses (purchase of school equipment, sports, trips, outings, etc.)

It is therefore difficult to give you an exact budget, each student is different and according to his or her ease of spending, his or her needs (for example, type of accommodation, host family, flat share, university residence...), the city of destination in Spain and his or her desires, the budget can vary enormously.

The option most used by our students is the "student" bank loan:

The vast majority of students who use our services take out a bank loan in France.

This solution can be frightening, but it is the one that is imposed on the vast majority of students, especially for those who have no other choice than private universities in Spain to achieve quality studies abroad.

They are aware of the weight of this loan on their future budget and we generally see a lot of work and involvement on their part.

For details and information on how to take out a loan, please read the " Financing your education project " section on our website.

The second option to facilitate the financing of a study project in Spain can be to obtain aid or scholarships in Spain.

1. FEEDUC's number one tip for obtaining a scholarship to study in Spain is to have already finalized your admission process, been admitted and reserved your place at a university in Spain.Only then will you be able to submit your application for a scholarship at a private university.Of course, you'll need to submit your application within the required deadlines and respect the processes. There are several types of scholarship available for study in Spain:
   • Scholarships given by Spanish universities:
     • If you wish to apply for a scholarship from a private Spanish university, please note that sometimes the processing time for applications is not the same as in France (for example, you may be asked for your high school grades before you have passed your exams).

   We have made a summary of the aid available to study in Spanish universities that you can find in the " financing " section of our website. You can consult them and have the details of the main grants available at each university.

   • Scholarships that you can apply for directly in France:
     • If you wish to apply for a scholarship in France, you should know that French students who are entitled to a scholarship for higher education based on social criteria in France can also benefit from a scholarship to study at certain private and public universities in Spain.

   The grant for higher education on social criteria is granted to students facing material difficulties that do not allow them to undertake or pursue higher education.

   French students or students from another European Union country who wish to pursue higher education in a Council of Europe member country, such as Spain, may receive a grant based on social criteria under the same conditions as in France.

   You must be enrolled in a higher education institution officially recognized by Spain (this is the case for the majority of our partner universities and be enrolled in a full-time course of study for one academic year or two semesters (depending on the university and the course of study) leading to a national degree recognized in Spain. Whether it is a public or private university in Spain, the criteria are the same.

   Therefore, you must be in one of the following situations:

   • Or be registered in a member state of the European Union, in a state of the European Economic Area (EEA) or in the Swiss Confederation.

   For example, being registered in Spain and applying from France.

   • Or pursue higher education, after having started it in France, in one of the countries that have ratified the European agreement of December 12, 1969 on the maintenance of scholarships for students pursuing their studies abroad. For example, if you have completed a PASS in France and wish to study dentistry in Spain.

When you are an international student entering your first year, financial aid from Spain to study at a private university is limited and difficult to obtain.

• Academic criteria: many private Spanish universities offer scholarships for the best students.

This process begins once you have finalized your admissions process, been admitted and reserved your place. Your grades and academic record will be reviewed in detail to determine if you qualify for financial aid.

• International Baccalaureate students: many private Spanish universities have agreements with the IB organization. A discount may be granted to these students. Please note: OIB or Bachibacs are not included. Only students from the Anglo-Saxon educational system can benefit from these agreements.
• Social criterion: some private Spanish universities will grant you financial aid based on social criteria. You will need to send proof of your family's income.
• High-level athletes: scholarships are awarded to the best high-level athletes who compete nationally and often internationally. Please note, however, that scholarships are generally only awarded to Spaniards.

• Be of French nationality,
• Be less than 28 years old on September^{1st of} the academic year (If you are recognized as disabled by the CDAPH, there is no age requirement)
• Be enrolled in initial training in Spain in a public or private educational institution
• To follow a course that can accommodate scholarship students.

In addition to the above requirements, you must:

• Have been employed full or part-time in France
• Either, your father, mother or legal guardian has received income in France
• Or justify more than one year of presence (continuously) on French territory, on September 1st of year N

• Trainee civil servants and permanent civil servants of the State, territorial or hospital civil service, in active service, on leave of absence or on leave without pay
• Students who have passed a competitive examination for the recruitment of teachers in private educational establishments under contract and who complete their internship during their second year of the Master's program
• Students who have passed the internship exam (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry)
• People registered with Pôle emploi as job seekers or beneficiaries of aid for integration and/or professional training
• People receiving the RSA (with some exceptions)
• Persons paid under an apprenticeship or professionalization contract or on individual training leave
• Persons paid under an apprenticeship contract in the public, non-industrial and commercial sector
• Persons receiving a retirement pension
• Students who are taking language courses in a foreign country (for example, if you are taking a gap year to learn Spanish in Spain, you will not be eligible for this aid).

• Depending on theparents' income,
• The number of children, brothers and sisters in the family,
• The distance of the place of study from the family home (the further away the place of study is, the more aid the student will receive).

This grant is paid over a period of 10 months, from September to June, except for people from overseas who can obtain the grant during the university vacations under certain conditions that you will find on the following link: Overseas students | Étudiant.gouv (etudiant.gouv.fr)

To find out if you are eligible, see Order of July 16, 2021 setting the resource limits for scholarships

https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000043868508

The income taken into account is shown on the "gross total income" line of the tax or non-taxation notice.

Thus, for the 2022-2023 academic year, the income used is that received in 2020 (2021 tax notice).

The "Dossier social étudiant" (DSE) is a single procedure. You only have to submit one file. On the My Student Services website: https: //www.messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr/envole/

However, you must pay attention to the application and renewal dates. Depending on the region to which you are attached, the course of study requested and the university of study, the scholarship may be accepted or refused.

For example, you were supposed to enter your EHR between January 20 and May 15, 2022 for the 2022/2023 school year. However, if you did not enter your file in time, you will still be able to apply but you will receive your aid payments at a later date.

To know the different steps of the " Dossier Social Etudiant ", you can consult the following governmental page: https: //www.etudiant.gouv.fr/fr/bourse-et-logement-constituez-votre-dossier-social-etudiant-dse-409

Once you have finalized your admission process, passed the tests and been accepted into the university, you can apply for the scholarship that best suits your situation.

Here are the main organizations that can offer scholarships to study in Spain:

• Government scholarships in Spain.
• Scholarships offered by public universities in Spain.
• Scholarships offered by private universities in Spain.
• Scholarships offered by embassies.
• Scholarships offered by private organizations.
• Fellowships offered by global organizations.

As a scholarship student in higher education you are obliged to respect the following obligations:

• To take the exams and competitions of the university in which you will be registered in Spain;
• Study full time.
• To be present in class and to be able to justify it by certificates of schooling or letter of the university. (In case of absences, they must be justified to the school service of your institution).

The training institutions carry out two attendance checks, one each semester. They then send the lists of non-attending students to the CROUS, which suspends payment of the grant and/or asks for a refund.

Foreign students who wish to begin their studies in Spain are entitled to apply for a number of scholarships offered by a large number of institutions in Spain.

Some scholarships are reserved for foreigners who live legally in Spain and already have an NIE. Therefore, it is difficult for a student in his/her final year of high school in France to apply for this type of scholarship until he/she has settled in Spain.

If you meet all the requirements (general, economic and academic), you can obtain scholarships of up to 4000€ per year.

We invite you to consult the following link for more information:

https://www.becaseducacion.gob.es/becas-y-ayudas.html

The scholarships offered by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) are scholarships for foreign students who wish to study for a Master's degree or doctorate in Spain. For more information, please consult the following link: http: //www.aecid.es/ES/becas-y-lectorados

The Future Scholarship:

The Embassy of Spain in France, in collaboration with the Dialogo Association, offers the AVENIR Scholarships (https://dialogo.es/fr/bourses-formation/ )

Funded by the Ministry of Education in Spain and France, these scholarships are intended for French students in Spanish international sections and Bachibac sections in France who wish to pursue higher education in Spain.

The individual amount of these scholarships for the complete course will be a minimum of 1.000 € and a maximum of 2.000 € depending on the family income.

No, applications for scholarships to study in Spain are reviewed every year, both for scholarships in France and for universities in Spain.

You must be particularly careful to have this information available when you leave to study in Spain. You will have to reapply every year and it is possible that if your parents' situation or your situation changes, you will not be able to receive the scholarship the following year.

Therefore, the following questions should be kept in mind:

 If you are not eligible for grants in subsequent years, how will you fund the project?

In the case of Spanish university scholarships: Once again, your academic results will be taken into account most of the time.

But in the case of the French Exchange, it will be your parents' income.

To our knowledge, very few of the students we have accompanied have obtained scholarships from private universities in Spain. Apart from a few high-level athletes, often Franco-Spanish, we have not seen anything very significant in this respect.

On the other hand, we have the example of a student who is currently in her third year of dental studies at the UAX and who has been receiving a French scholarship based on social criteria since her first year of study.