Spanish Scholarships: Government, MAEC-AECID and University Awards Explained

How scholarships for Spain are organised

Funding connected to studying in Spain spans several levels, and applicants usually look at a mix. Identifying where an award sits — national, regional, university, or private foundation — tells you who runs it, who is eligible, and where the official application happens.

Every legitimate scholarship uses secular, academic, or financial-need criteria such as grades, field, level of study and sometimes country of origin or nationality. Each programme sets its own rules, coverage and deadline, which you confirm on its official page before relying on it.

• National: MAEC-AECID grants run by Spain's development cooperation agency (AECID)
• Regional: scholarship schemes from Spain's autonomous communities
• University: merit scholarships, fee waivers and need-based support
• Private foundations: 'la Caixa' Foundation fellowships and similar awards

MAEC-AECID government grants

MAEC-AECID scholarships are run by AECID, the development cooperation agency under Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the EU and Cooperation. They support studies, research stays, internships and training, with the eligible countries, levels and fields set in each annual call. Several MAEC-AECID lines are aimed at applicants from specific partner regions (for example, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East), so eligibility is programme-specific.

The authoritative source is AECID's official 'Scholarships and Lectureships' (Becas y Lectorados) pages. Because the programmes, deadlines and eligible countries change between cycles, always read the current call rather than relying on past editions.

Regional and university scholarships

Spain's autonomous communities (such as Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and the Basque Country) run their own scholarship schemes, and individual universities offer merit scholarships, tuition reductions and need-based support. Public-university tuition is also set partly at the regional level, so costs and awards vary by region.

To find these, check the official education portal of the autonomous community and the scholarships or fees pages of each university you apply to. Apply early — regional and university scholarship deadlines are frequently tied to, or earlier than, the admission deadline.

'la Caixa' Foundation fellowships

The 'la Caixa' Foundation runs well-known, competitive postgraduate fellowships, including programmes that fund master's, doctoral or research study. These are private-foundation awards with their own selection process, separate from any government scheme.

Eligibility is set per programme and can be restrictive — for example, some 'la Caixa' postgraduate fellowships are open only to nationals of particular countries, and the eligible host destinations vary by programme. Because the rules, covered levels, host options and application windows change between editions, confirm whether you qualify and where you can study on the official 'la Caixa' Foundation fellowship pages before applying — do not assume any single 'la Caixa' programme is open to all international students.

How to apply and what to prepare

University admission and the student-visa process are separate from scholarship applications, so keep both tracks aligned on timing. Non-EU students generally apply for a Spanish student visa through the Spanish consulate in their country, while scholarship applications run through the relevant AECID, regional, university or foundation portal.

Commonly requested documents include academic transcripts and degree certificates, proof of admission or application, a motivation letter, references, a language certificate (Spanish or English depending on the programme), and sometimes a research proposal. Requirements vary per scheme — read each official call carefully.

• Check the current MAEC-AECID call on the official AECID 'Scholarships and Lectureships' pages
• Search the autonomous community's official education portal for regional grants
• Check each university's own scholarships and tuition pages
• Review 'la Caixa' Foundation fellowships only after confirming you meet their programme-specific eligibility