Higher education funding in Portugal

Overview

Portugal’s higher education funding system provides need-based scholarships, merit grants, housing and disability support, and +Superior mobility grants for eligible students.

Eligibility

Benefits

Application Process

Higher education funding in Portugal includes need-based scholarships, merit grants, mobility support and other financial assistance administered under Portugal’s higher education funding system.

Opportunity

Higher education funding in Portugal

Type

Scholarship

University

Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI), Portugal

Country

Portugal

Study Level

Bachelor’s, master’s and other higher education programmes

Who Can Apply

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Students enrolled in Portuguese higher education institutions, subject to the rules of the relevant support scheme.
• Students whose eligibility for need-based support is assessed according to their own and their family’s income.
• Students studying away from their usual residence who meet the conditions for housing support.
• Students with disabilities of 60% or more may qualify for attendance grants.
• Students enrolled at participating institutions and study cycles in less populated regions may apply for +Superior mobility grants.
• Students seeking merit grants must have completed all academic requirements from the previous year and achieved results above 16 on a 0–20 scale.

Fields of Study

All fields of study; specific support programmes also cover STEAM, digital and technological fields.

Value

• Need-based scholarships are linked to tuition fees, with reference fees for 2025/2026 of €697 for bachelor’s programmes and up to €2,750 for master’s programmes.
• Housing support for students studying away from home ranges from €287.38 to €496.38 per month in municipalities with the highest rental costs.
• Attendance grants for students with disabilities may cover attendance fees up to €2,750 per year during 2025/2026.
• Merit grants are €3,800 per year for the 2025/2026 academic year.
• Each +Superior Programme scholarship is €1,700 per year. Students in higher vocational technical courses and applicants aged over 23 under the special access system receive 15% more.
• Families may receive a tax deduction of 30% of educational expenses, up to €800 per year, subject to applicable income rules.

Selection Criteria

Applicants are assessed on:

• Need-based support is assessed according to the income of the student and their family.
• Merit grant applicants must complete all academic requirements from the previous year and achieve results above 16 on a 0–20 scale.
• +Superior support is intended for economically disadvantaged students, generally resident in other regions, who attend eligible institutions and study cycles in less populated areas.
• Attendance grants for students with disabilities are available for students with a disability level of at least 60% and are not means tested.
• Eligibility, award conditions and the number of available grants depend on the relevant programme and applicable legislation.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted under the procedures established for the relevant Portuguese higher education support scheme. The source states that +Superior applications may be submitted throughout the academic year, in line with applications for social action grants. Applicants should consult the relevant higher education institution or official Portuguese education authority for the applicable application process.

Application Deadline

No single deadline is stated for higher education funding as a whole. The source indicates that +Superior applications may be submitted throughout the academic year, in line with social action grant applications; deadlines and procedures vary by support scheme.

Apply via the official page: https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurypedia/portugal/higher-education-funding

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