General study grant (beca general MEC)
Beca de carácter general ·Administered by Ministerio de Educación, Formación Profesional y Deportes
The beca general is the backbone of Spanish student aid, with a 2025/26 budget of €2,544 million reaching over a million students. University students get their first-enrollment credits paid (beca de matrícula) and, depending on family income and circumstances, stack a €1,700 income-linked amount, €2,700 if they must live away from home for the course, €50–125 for a grade average of 8.00 or higher, and a variable amount of at least €60. Non-university students (Bachillerato, vocational FP) can instead receive the €300 basic grant (€350 in basic-grade FP). Thresholds and amounts for 2025/26 were set by Royal Decree 163/2025.
Who qualifies
- Enrolled in post-compulsory studies: Bachillerato, FP (grado básico, medio or superior), an official university degree or master's — since 2025/26 also higher artistic studies for the tuition component
- Family income below the thresholds of RD 163/2025 — e.g. threshold 1 for a family of four is €23,286 for the income-linked amount; the tuition component reaches up to threshold 3 (€42,836)
- Academic requirements: full enrollment (60 credits; 30–59 partial with reduced components), a 5.00 access grade for first-year university and branch-specific pass rates in later years
- Spanish nationals, EU citizens and non-EU students with legal residence status
How to apply
Apply online at the Ministry's electronic office (sede.educacion.gob.es) during the annual window — for 2025/26 it ran from 24 March to 30 May 2025 (extended from 14 May). File even before enrolling; the grant is resolved once enrollment is confirmed.
Deadlines: 2025/26 window closed 30 May 2025; the 2026/27 window ran 7 April – 18 May 2026
Apply / official channel →Recent & announced changes
The 2026/27 call (RD 179/2026, BOE 12-03-2026) keeps all amounts, adds partial grants for 48–59-credit enrollments, improves rules for students with 25–64% disability and raises asset thresholds.
Sources
- Extracto de la Resolución de 18 de marzo de 2025, por la que se convocan becas de carácter general para el curso académico 2025-2026 — Boletín Oficial del Estado (retrieved 10 July 2026)
- Real Decreto 163/2025, de 4 de marzo — umbrales de renta y patrimonio familiar y cuantías de las becas para el curso 2025-2026 — Boletín Oficial del Estado (retrieved 10 July 2026)
- Becas y ayudas para estudiantes — portal de becas — Ministerio de Educación, Formación Profesional y Deportes (retrieved 10 July 2026)
- Becas y ayudas al estudio 2025-2026: ¿quiénes pueden beneficiarse? — La Moncloa — Gobierno de España (retrieved 10 July 2026)
Last verified 10 July 2026