ISPA – Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida - ISPA scholarship

ISPA scholarship

At ISPA, a private university in Lisbon, Portugal (full name: Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida), you will receive a reduction of your yearly tuition fee. The amount depends on your household’s financial situation and can cover up to the full standard tuition fee for enrolment in up to 60 ECTS credits per year. ISPA administers this funding itself to ensure that students who cannot afford to study at a private university are not excluded. The grant is valid for one academic year. You can renew it each year for the entire duration of your studies, provided you continue to meet the eligibility criteria. The reduction does not apply to enrolment fees, registration fees or other administrative charges.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are enrolled at ISPA on a Licenciatura degree programme (Bachelor’s, 1 cycle), an integrated Master’s programme (1 + 2 cycles) or a Master’s programme (2 cycle).
• Financial need: You can provide documentary evidence of financial hardship, and you do so every year.
• No DGES grant: You are not eligible for the Portuguese government grant (Bolsa DGES). This may be due to your nationality, because your academic progress has been too slow, or because your household income exceeds the DGES threshold. You cannot receive both grants at the same time.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects taught at ISPA.
• Academic progress: You have passed at least 50% ECTS credits out of those for which you were enrolled last year, and you are enrolled for at least 15 ECTS credits this semester. Students in the final year of the integrated Master’s programme are exempt from this requirement. Exceptions may be granted if you can provide evidence of personal circumstances.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities. Students from non-EU countries may apply provided they do not hold a permanent residence permit. Brazilian students may only apply in their first year of study.
• Who cannot apply: External students, students on non-degree-based postgraduate programmes, doctoral students (3 cycle) and anyone who already holds a qualification at the same level as the one they are currently studying for.

How to apply

You submit the online application form to ISPA's Student Welfare Unit, together with the documents proving your financial situation. If you are ineligible for DGES because of nationality or academic progress, apply within the deadline in the official notice, usually in the first half of October. If your DGES application was rejected for exceeding the income limit, apply within 10 days of that rejection, with a final deadline of 31 December. You hear back within 30 days of the application period closing.

If you are looking for additional funding beyond this ISPA grant, our guide Scholarships in Portugal brings together further options available in Portugal.