QUALIFICA.Superior with over a thousand approved applications and over a million Euros paid out to students - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

More than a thousand applications have already been approved under QUALIFICA.Superior. This measure was created by the Regional Government as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan to support the payment of tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, regardless of the beneficiaries' income or their household.

Among the 1,097 applications approved, 295 concern undergraduate programmes and 802 postgraduate programmes, with support totalling more than 1.2 million Euros already paid out to applicants.

So far, the overall amount approved for QUALIFICA.Superior exceeds 1.5 million Euros, with just over 300 thousand Euros being processed for payment, under the terms, assumptions and phased maturity of the support indicated in the respective application notices. 

In the case of undergraduate programmes, the support is paid in instalments throughout the programme, with each academic year corresponding to two instalments (i.e. six instalments in total) which, as a rule, are due at the beginning of each semester. 

The first instalment is paid after application approval, with subsequent payments based on proof of enrollment renewal and tuition fees charged by the higher education institution. Applicants are also required to have passed, at least 50%, of the course units of the previous academic year, or the preceding semester in the case of the second instalment of that academic year. 

Regarding postgraduate courses, the support is paid in two instalments, the first is due upon approval of the application and the second at the end of the programme, after validation of the successful completion of 50% of course units.

Approved applicants for undergraduate programmes will receive support of up to 870 Euros annually for each year of the programme.

In the case of postgraduate programmes, support is granted for the payment of tuition fees up to a limit of 2,000 Euros.

Employees and unemployed registered at the Regional Training and Employment Centre, aged over 18, with tax residency in the Azores for at least six months. They are also required to be enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in face-to-face or online formats, during working or after-work hours, at public or private higher education establishments. 

Applications are now open and should be submitted at https://bolsas.azores.gov.pt/.