Programme of loans for university students
- Name of the instrument - Local language
- Programa de préstecs per a estudiants universitaris
- Name of the instrument - English translation
- Programme of loans for university students
- Scheme ID
- 78
- Country
- Spain
- Reporting year
- 2015
- Type of instrument
- Loan
- Type of entry
- Single instrument
- Short description
Adults can use this loan scheme which was introduced to support students in initial education to cover tuition fees in full-time higher education and living costs. The loans are provided by private retail banks based on funds from the private capital market. The State provides loan guarantee. There are two types of loans with the maximum amounts: EUR 7 000 (loan to fund fees for university studies) and EUR 30 000 (loan for post-graduate studies, which compensates also living costs). Repayment rates are fixed (monthly rates). The interest rate is regulated by the State. The repayment can last for a maximum of 10 years.
- Short description of the related instruments
nap
- Level of operation
- Regional
- Name of a part of the country
- nap
- Name of the region (for regional instruments)
- Catalonia
- Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
- nap
- Relevance
- Marginal scheme
- Legal basis
Agreements between the 'Agency for the management of university and research support' under the government of Catalonia and banks. Annual calls for students on website, http://www10.gencat.cat/agaur_web/AppJava/catala/a_beques.jsp?categoria…
- Year of implementation
- 2006
- Operation/management
Funding is provided by private retail banks which signed an agreement with the government. The Agency for the management of university and research support under the government of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia provides guarantee.
Students apply for the loan when registering for university studies. There are two types of loans: (1) loan to fund the fees of university studies (Bachelors', Masters', postgraduate or Doctorate programmes); (2) loan for post-graduate university studies (Masters', postgraduate or Doctorate programmes). The latter allows to request, in addition to the funding of fees, an amount to compensate for living costs.- Eligible group(s)
Loan to fund the fees of university studies: any student applying for an institution from the university system in Catalonia, which has adhered to the agreement.
Loan for post-graduate university studies: individuals with a university qualification, who are fiscal residents in Catalonia; individuals who are not fiscal residents in Catalonia can ask for a loan if they attend a Catalonian university (they are not entitled to a fiscal deduction).
- Group(s) with preferential treatment
None
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
Retail banks (current financing - providing loans)
State (loan guarantee, interest rate subsidy)
individual (repayment from future income)- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
Maximum amount of a loan: EUR 7 000 for university studies and EUR 30 000 for post-graduate university studies.
Interest rate: generally lower than the one on the capital market: 0% in the case of loans to fund the fees of university studies and 3.5% and annual revision in the case of loans for post-graduate university studies.
Opening costs for the loan: EUR 14 (6-month enrolment) or EUR 24 (annual enrolment). On the open capital market these costs would sum up to at least EUR 250.
Repayment: In monthly rates. in case of loans for post-graduate university studies, repayment starts immediately after the study period (1 or 2 years). An extension of 1 additional year can be granted. Repayment can last for a maximum of 10 years.
- Volumes of funding
EUR 4 958 293 were granted for student loans in 2013.
- Beneficiaries/take up
3 358 loans were opended in 2013.
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
Agency for the management of university and research support [Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca].
- Monitoring/evaluation reports available
Report of the Agency for the management of university and research support, 2013: http://meridia.iec.cat/ORWeb/contents/entitats/documents/AGAUR_Memoria1…
- Most relevant webpage - in English
na
- Most relevant webpage - local language
http://www10.gencat.cat/agaur_web/AppJava/catala/a_beca.jsp?categoria=u…
- Recent changes
Another supported loan scheme has been recently implemented in the Autonomous Community of Valencia, http://www.cece.gva.es/UNIV/docs/Prestamos_matricula_triptico_cast.pdf
- Sources
Website of the Agency, http://www10.gencat.cat/agaur_web/AppJava/catala/a_beca.jsp?categoria=u…
Report of the Agency for the management of university and research support, 2013: http://meridia.iec.cat/ORWeb/contents/entitats/documents/AGAUR_Memoria1…
- Short description
- Short description of the related instruments
- Level of operation
- Name of a part of the country
- Name of the region (for regional instruments)
- Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
- Relevance
- Legal basis
- Year of implementation
- Operation/management
- Eligible group(s)
- Group(s) with preferential treatment
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
- Volumes of funding
- Beneficiaries/take up
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
- Monitoring/evaluation reports available
- Most relevant webpage - in English
- Most relevant webpage - local language
- Recent changes
- Sources