Programa FINAN (Préstamo AGAUR)

What the AGAUR loan gives you

You can borrow up to 9,600 EUR per calendar year to pay your university tuition fees in Catalonia. The interest rate is 0%, so you never pay interest on what you borrow. Instead of paying your fees in one lump sum, you repay the loan in monthly instalments spread over the semester or academic year. This is a loan, not a grant: you have to pay it back. It is run jointly by AGAUR (the Catalan agency for university funding) and the bank Sabadell Consumer Finance, together with the participating universities.

The only cost is a one-off opening fee: 2.50% of the amount for a semester enrolment, or 3.25% for a full-year enrolment. There are no other fees and no charge for early repayment. You do not need a guarantor if you can prove enough income. For example, borrowing 500 EUR costs 12.50 EUR in fees; borrowing the full 9,600 EUR costs 240 to 312 EUR depending on the plan.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are enrolled at a Catalan university or centre that has joined the programme, such as the University of Barcelona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Pompeu Fabra, Rovira i Virgili, Lleida or the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).
• Level: Open to Bachelor, Master, postgraduate and doctoral studies.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Age: You are at least 16. If you are under 18, an adult with proven income must be named as the loan holder.
• Nationality: You are a Spanish national, or a foreign student with a valid NIE (Spain's foreigner identification number).
• Income: You can prove enough income, or you name another person with income as the loan holder.
• Credit record: You are not listed in a Spanish default register (RAI/ASNEF or similar).

How to apply

When you enrol at your university, choose the payment option "Préstamo AGAUR". The university forwards your request to AGAUR and the bank. They email you and ask for your ID, income proof and bank details. You have two weeks from that email to finalise the loan, and you sign the contract fully online. Apply by 30 October for the full year or first semester, and by 31 March for the second semester.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not a competitive scholarship with a jury, so there is no merit or need contest to win. Approval is a standard bank credit check. If you study at a participating Catalan university, are not in a default register, and you or a named loan holder can prove enough income, you will normally be accepted. Choose the option at enrolment and respond within the two-week window, or the request lapses.