University of Alcalá/Tufts University - Jorge Herreros Martínez Scholarship

What the Jorge Herreros Martínez Scholarship gives you

With tuition fully paid, you will spend a full academic year at a partner university in the United States, mainly at Tufts University (near Boston) or Skidmore College (in New York State). You will also be provided with a single room in a hall of residence (subject to availability), full board during the term, access to all campus facilities, and basic medical care at the university health centre. The scholarship covers a full academic year, roughly from late August to mid-May. It is awarded by the University of Alcalá (UAH) in Spain, which sends its own students abroad as part of this programme.

You can earn an extra 6,000 US dollars (about 5,500 EUR) over the course of the year by taking part in Spanish conversation classes and cultural activities at your host university. There are two costs you will need to cover yourself: the host university’s compulsory health insurance (around 3,260 US dollars, approximately 3,000 euros at Tufts University) and your US visa and the associated fees.

Who can apply

• Where you study now: You are enrolled on a Bachelor’s degree programme (Grado) at the University of Alcalá this academic year.
• Study stage: Second-year students will be given priority, although this is not a mandatory requirement.
• English level: You must hold a TOEFL certificate with a score of at least 95 (web-based, roughly equivalent to B2+/C1). This is an absolute requirement. Without this certificate, your application will be rejected.
• Field of study: Students on all degree programmes are eligible to apply. They can take courses in the humanities and natural sciences, as well as one course per semester in the fields of law and diplomacy, biomedicine or nutritional sciences.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, provided they are students at the UAH.

How to apply

Please apply to the University of Alcalá by 31 January. Submit your academic transcript, CV, TOEFL certificate, two letters of recommendation from UAH lecturers, and a personal statement. Once the applications have been assessed, some or all applicants will be invited to an interview. Results are usually announced in early to mid-February.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is highly selective: only Bachelor’s degree students who are already enrolled at the University of Alcalá are eligible to apply, and only two or three places are awarded each year. This keeps the pool of applicants small, but competition is fierce, as the prize comprises a fully funded academic year in the USA. Grades carry the most weight in the assessment; therefore, good grades combined with the required TOEFL score offer a suitable second-year student a genuine chance of success.