Higher education scholarship eligibility was extended at the start of the academic year, but the eligibility threshold will be raised even further for student workers in 2024.
The measure included in the 2024 State Budget Proposal (OE2024) appears in the explanatory note for the science, technology and higher education sector, published on Tuesday on the website of the Assembly of the Republic.
According to the document, the eligibility threshold for most students is set at €11,049.89 per capita annual income, which represents an increase of 16.5%.
For those with working student status, the increase will be twice as large: the participation threshold is now set at €12,569.89.
This is one of the measures that results from the increased budgetary allocations allocated to the Social Action Fund, which, according to the OE2024 proposal, has an additional 211 million euros compared to last year.
The maximum scholarship amount will also be increased by 7% to 5981.73 euros, as will the minimum scholarship amount for master’s degree students. The +Superior scholarship is available to undergraduates and students who did not apply for a scholarship in the placement year.
In the case of the accommodation supplement, students moving on scholarship will be able to receive up to 120 euros more than they already receive per month, after being increased in several municipalities in the range of 264.24 to 456.41 euros per month.
Proposal OE2024 also expands social support for students in humanitarian emergencies from Syria and Afghan refugees, and renews support for students in temporary protection situations from Ukraine.
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education estimates that 83,381 students will be supported in the 2023/2024 academic year, which is approximately five thousand more than last year, when more than 78 thousand scholarships were awarded.
As part of the promotion of equality and success in higher education, the explanatory note also states that the legal regime for students with special educational needs in higher education should be approved next year.
The goal, the document says, is “to contribute, together with higher education institutions, to increasing the number of students with disabilities studying at this level of education, by improving appropriate admission conditions and proper physical and technological equipment.”
Proposal OE2024 was approved today by the Assembly of the Republic as a whole. The period of advanced training in the specialty begins on Thursday, the day when the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education Elvira Fortunato will be heard by Parliament.