Portugal 2016/17 - student fees and grants

National student fee

The annual tuition fee for 1st cycle programmes, integrated 2nd cycle programmes (mestrados integrados) and for 2nd cycle programmes (mestrados) that are legally required after a 1st cycle degree for the practice of a specific profession is fixed by each public higher education institution. It ranges from EUR 656.50 to 1 063.47. Both minimum and maximum values of the above fees are frozen for the 2016/17 academic year.

For all other 2nd cycle programmes, tuition fees are set freely by public higher education institutions, with no limits imposed. There is a wide range of tuition fees depending mainly on the cost and quality of the course.

The annual tuition fee for short cycle programmes are defined by individual institutions. It cannot be above EUR 1 063.00 (the maximum value for the 1st cycle courses, integrated 2nd cycle courses and for 2nd cycle courses legally required for the practice of a specific profession).

International students pay higher fees than national students, and higher education institutions are autonomous to decide on the amounts charged.

Student grants

Student grants can be need or merit based. Eligibility for need-based scholarships is determined by the income of the student and his/her family. Need-based grant amounts depend on the fee levels and vary between EUR 1 063.47 and EUR 5 675. Merit-based grants are set at EUR 2 650.00 per year. The number of merit-based grants that each institution can provide is previously determined by the ratio 1 grant per 500 students. To be eligible for the grant, students need to have completed all study requirements of the previous year and to have obtained good marks (over 16 on a scale 0-20). Additional grants are provided to a maximum of 1 000 students who move to study in less populated regions of Portugal. The annual amount is EUR 1 500.

Loans

There is a special loan scheme for higher education students at low rates, with government guarantee.

Tax benefit for student's parents

Tax benefits for parents are provided through tax deduction on educational expenses. The tax benefit is 30 % of all education expenses, to the limit of EUR 800. There can be additional restrictions depending on the total income of the family, decreasing the benefit as the total income increases.

Family allowances

Family allowance – child benefit – is granted to families with children under 24 years old and enrolled in higher education, when the household income does not exceed 1.5 times the social support index times 14 (2013: EUR 8 803.62) and when the family assets are less than 240 times the social support index (2013: EUR 100 612.80).