Government of Spain-Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports/UIMP - English Language Scholarships for Teacher Training Students

English immersion course for new teachers (Ministry of Education and UIMP)

You will receive a scholarship of free one-week English immersion course, worth approximately 616 EUR. It is run as a face-to-face programme by the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP). The scholarship covers tuition fees, all course materials, full board and a shared room for five days, comprising 40 teaching hours. You will not receive any cash: the Spanish Ministry of Education pays the fee directly to the UIMP. You will be required to pay a registration fee of 100 EUR yourself and cover the cost of your travel to the course venue (in 2024: Santander, Cuenca or the Pyrenees). Lessons are conducted exclusively orally in small groups with native-speaking teachers. At the end of the course, you will receive a bilingual certificate stating your level and your credits. The aim is to improve the English language skills of newly qualified teachers so that they can deliver bilingual lessons.

Who can apply

• Your qualification: You hold a ‘Grado de Maestro’ (primary school teaching qualification) in any subject area, or a ‘Master en Formación del Profesorado’ for teaching at secondary schools, in vocational education or in foreign languages.
• Timing: You obtained this degree in one of the three academic years prior to the call for applications (for the 2024 round: 2022–2023, 2021–2022 or 2020–2021).
• Grades: Your average mark is at least 7.50 out of 10. As there are a limited number of places, you must also exceed the entry threshold, meaning that this is a competitive selection process.
• English level: You have an intermediate to advanced level of English. The UIMP will assess your language level by means of a test.
• Where you live: You can apply from anywhere in Spain, although residents of the Basque Country are not eligible to apply.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.

How to apply

You apply online via the Ministry’s electronic portal within the specified period; in the year 2024, this ran from 20 June to 10 July. Your university will submit your grades directly, and a committee will draw up a ranking list of applicants based on their average grade. Following a preliminary selection, you will take a self-assessment test in English and pay the reservation fee of 100 EUR. A final oral language test will take place on your arrival, before the course begins.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is aimed at a limited group of applicants: you must have recently obtained a teaching qualification, achieved a grade point average of 7.50, and must not be resident in the Basque Country. Selection is based solely on merit, using a minimum score as the criterion, and in the year 2024, 585 places were awarded. If your marks are well above 7.50 and you meet the deadline, your chances are good.