Fernando Pessoa University - Merit Award of the Directorate General for Higher Education (DGES)

Benefit

You will receive a one-off grant of five times the Portuguese minimum monthly wage, the amount of which is determined at the start of the academic year. It is paid out in the year in which you qualify for it. The grant recognises outstanding academic achievement and is independent of family income. Any student who meets the required grade and credit thresholds is eligible for it. The Portuguese state funds the grant in full through the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES/DSAE). The grant is awarded by the Fernando Pessoa University (UFP) in Porto, which itself ranks eligible students.

Eligibility

• Degree level: You are enrolled at UFP in a bachelor's (1st cycle), master's (2nd cycle) or integrated master's programme.
• Credits passed: This academic year, you have passed all the modules in your degree programme, totalling 60 ECTS credits.
• Grades: Your weighted average across these modules is at least 16 out of 20 (‘Very Good’), calculated on the basis of ECTS credits to two decimal places.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Financial need: None. The scholarship is open to all eligible students, regardless of their income.

How to apply

No application is required. The UFP automatically compiles a ranking list of all eligible students based on their academic performance and publishes the results. If you disagree with the provisional ranking list, you can lodge an appeal via the InforEstudante system within the short appeal period before the final list is confirmed.

If you are weighing this grant against other options, our guide Scholarships in Portugal brings together further scholarships and funding available in Portugal.