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
- 2020
- Type of instrument
- Loan
- Sub-type of instrument
- Loan for HE expanded to adults
- 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. The initiative is aimed at students who apply for studies in universities that adhered to the AGAUR agreement. No preferential treatment is applied. The loans are provided by private retail banks based on funds from the private capital market. The government provides a 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 (a loan for post-graduate studies, which may compensate also for living costs). Repayment rates are fixed (monthly rates). The interest rate is regulated by the State.
- Level of operation
- Regional
- Name of a part of the country
- Not applicable
- Name of the region (for regional instruments)
- Catalonia
- Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
- Not applicable
- Relevance
- Further instrument
- Legal basis
- Agreements between the 'Agency for the management of university and research support' under the government of Catalonia, and banks. Annual calls.
- Objective(s) and target(s)
- According to the AGAUR annual report, the objective of these loans is to finance students' university studies costs.
- Year of implementation
- 2006
- Operation/management
- Funding is provided by private retail banks which signed an agreement with the government of Catalonia. The Agency for the management of university and research support (AGAUR) under the government of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia provides guarantee. Students apply for the loan when registering for university studies.
- Eligible group(s)
- The initiative is aimed at students who apply for studies in universities adhered to the AGAUR agreement.
- Group(s) with preferential treatment
- No preferential treatment
- Education and training eligible
- University studies: Bachelors', Masters', postgraduate or Doctorate programmes
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
- Private retail banks are the financers, the agents effectively providing loans. The Government of Catalonia guarantees the loan and subsidizes the interest rate. Students must repay the whole amount of the loan.
- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
- There are two types of loans: (1) FINAN: loan to fund the fees of university studies (Bachelors', Masters', postgraduate or Doctorate programmes); (2) PREPOST: 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 costs
- The loan is aimed at funding the fees of university studies. However, in particular, the loan for post-graduate university studies (PREPOST) could also cover living costs.
- Volumes of funding
- Loan to fund the fees of university studies (FINAN), overall volume of loans granted: 2015-2016: EUR 3 327 413.95 2016-2017: EUR 3 204 744.042017-2018: EUR 3 092 392.07Information on funding of the (small number) of post-graduated studies is not available.
- Beneficiaries/take up
- (1) Loan to fund the fees of university studies (FINAN): 2015-2016: 2 518 loans approved 2016-2017: 2 189 loans approved 2017-2018: 1 959 loans approved (2) Loan for post-graduate university studies (PREPOST): 2016: 35 loans approved 2017: 8 loans approved 2018: 15 loans approved
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
- AGAUR, Agency for the Management of University and Research Aids of Catalonia (Agčncia de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca)
- Most relevant webpage - in English
- Not available
- Most relevant webpage - local language
- https://agaur.gencat.cat/es/beques-i-ajuts/pas_a_pas/com-sollicitar-fin…
- Recent changes
No recent amendments
Recent changes in response to COVID-19
No changes
- Sources
- https://agaur.gencat.cat/es/beques-i-ajuts/pas_a_pas/com-sollicitar-fin…
- https://agaur.gencat.cat/web/.content/Documents/AGAUR/memories/castella…
On this page:
- Short description
- 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
- Objective(s) and target(s)
- Year of implementation
- Operation/management
- Eligible group(s)
- Group(s) with preferential treatment
- Education and training eligible
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
- Eligible costs
- Volumes of funding
- Beneficiaries/take up
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
- Most relevant webpage - in English
- Most relevant webpage - local language
- Recent changes
- Sources