CFIS-Polytechnic University of Catalonia - CFIS Enrolment Grant

What the CFIS Enrolment Grant gives you

During your dual Bachelor’s degree programme at the CFIS, you will pay lower tuition fees. The CFIS is a Centre of Excellence at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) in Barcelona. Every CFIS student automatically receives a discount of 34% less on the fees for credits taken for the first time, although this discount is applied only after any other fee reductions have been taken into account. In practice, this means you pay roughly the same as you would for one degree programme rather than two. A limited number of students also receive a full exemption from tuition fees and pay no fees at all. These exemptions are funded by partner companies, so the number varies each year. The funding applies for the entire duration of your studies at CFIS, up to a maximum of 5 years. Administrative fees for enrolment are not covered.

Who can apply

• Admission: You must first be approved for the CFIS. The funding is linked to this approval, so there is no need to submit a separate application for the funds.
• Entrance exam: You have passed the CFIS entrance examination in mathematics and physics.
• Field of study: You choose one of the 31 dual-degree combinations, which are made up of the 10 STEM bachelor’s degree programmes, including mathematics, physics, data science, computer science, as well as biomedical, civil, aerospace, industrial and telecommunications engineering.
• Grades: Your university entrance grade must exceed the minimum requirements for both degree programmes you wish to combine. If you are already studying, you will need a transcript of records that shows no failed subjects and no completed degree.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, and applications can be submitted from anywhere in Spain. There are no age or gender restrictions.

How to apply

Applications are made online via the CFIS website, which opens around April or May each year. You will then sit the full-day entrance examination in mathematics and physics at the end of May or beginning of June. The results are announced at the end of June, and enrolment takes place in July. For new students, full tuition fee waivers are automatically awarded based on the admission ranking list, so you do not need to submit a separate application.

How realistic are your chances?

The 34% discount is automatically granted once you have been accepted; the real hurdle, therefore, is gaining admission to the CFIS. You must pass a demanding maths and physics exam and achieve the minimum marks for two degree programmes simultaneously, which ensures that the cohort remains small and strong. Full fee waivers are awarded on a merit basis and depend on how much funding the partner companies make available that year; they are therefore more highly contested. If you are a top student in STEM subjects and perform well in the entrance exam, your chances of securing at least the standard discount are good.