Thousands of students risk losing scholarships

Portugal’s government is being forced to reconsider a major overhaul of higher education student financial aid after universities and student organisations warn that thousands of could lose access to grants because of inadequate funding.

According to Expresso newspaper, the already embattled Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) is now weighing whether to delay implementation of the reform until the 2027/28 academic year – citing a lack of time to fully test the IT systems needed to administer the new scheme. This justification would suit the times, given the criticism of the lack of testing given to the platform for digital marking in national secondary school exams.

The ministry has confirmed to Público that a postponement is under consideration – while Expresso reports growing concern across the higher education sector over the reform’s practical impact.

The legislation was promulgated on July 10, nearly two months after being approved by the Council of Ministers, but it has yet to be published in Portugal’s official gazette, Diário da República.

The reform would replace the current grant calculation model with one based on the real cost of studying in each municipality and household income, rather than applying a more uniform system nationwide. The government estimates the average grant would increase by 53% and has pledged that no current grant recipient would receive less support.

However, university leaders and student representatives interviewed by Expresso argue that the available funding will not stretch far enough to cover all eligible students.

Pedro Teixeira, rector of the University of Porto, said estimates from the institution’s social services suggest between 300 and 600 students at the university alone could lose their grants under the new rules.

“If that reality is repeated nationally, we could be talking about several thousand fewer students receiving grants,” he told the newspaper.

Luís Loures, president of the Coordinating Council of Polytechnic Institutes (CCISP), estimated the number of grant recipients could fall by between 15% and 20%, warning the consequences for lower-income families would be significant.

Student organisations broadly support the reform’s objectives, Expresso insists, but share those concerns.

Francisco Porto Fernandes, president of the Porto Academic Federation (FAP), described the proposal as “conceptually very good” but argued it was underfunded.

“Money doesn’t stretch indefinitely,” he said, warning that students currently just above the eligibility threshold risk losing financial support.

Pedro Neto Monteiro, president of the Lisbon Academic Federation, said a low-income family of four with a student living away from home could lose around €1,800 a year compared with the current system.

The reform has also attracted criticism over its definition of a student living away from home, which uses a straight-line distance of 50 kilometres.

Critics argue the measure ignores actual travel times, particularly in metropolitan areas where relatively short distances can involve lengthy commutes.

Loures also warned the reform could weaken support for higher education institutions in Portugal’s interior by increasing grant values in coastal areas while reducing them inland, potentially reinforcing the country’s already high concentration of students in Lisbon and Porto.

The Academic Association of Coimbra (AAC) has also criticised the proposal, arguing it fails to account adequately for families supporting members with chronic illnesses, overlooks students who are effectively displaced twice, and could encourage informal rental arrangements by removing the requirement to submit rent receipts.

The association linked uncertainty surrounding the reform to the recent problems with Portugal’s digital national examination system, questioning whether the ministry has the capacity to implement such a far-reaching overhaul without disadvantaging students.

Student leaders have broadly welcomed the prospect of a delay if it allows the government to revise the model and secure additional funding.

The ministry has not yet announced a final decision but has requested an opinion from Portugal’s higher education institute on the conditions required before the reform can proceed.

Porto Academic Federation president Fernandes also criticised what he described as the government’s spending priorities, noting that around €300 million has been allocated to tuition fee reimbursements approved by parliament, while the higher education social support budget remains below €100 million.

“There is money to buy the votes of younger people,” he told Expresso, “but not enough to support those who need help the most.”

Source: Expresso