Universidade Politécnica de Setúbal - IPS Merit Awards

Bolsas de Mérito (merit awards) at the Universidade Politécnica de Setúbal

You will receive a merit-based scholarship for one academic year for outstanding academic achievement at the Universidade Politécnica de Setúbal (UNIPS, formerly the Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal) in Portugal. There are two types of award. The first is a state merit-based grant from the Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior (DGES), the Portuguese higher education authority. The DGES sets the amount of the grant each year. The second type consists of partner awards funded by companies. These range from a cash prize to the payment of tuition fees for a whole year. For example, Santander awards 1,000 EUR to the top graduate from each UNIPS faculty. Several companies cover the annual tuition fees of 2026/2027 for students with the highest entry grades in specific degree programmes such as biotechnology, mechanical engineering or accounting and finance.

Who can apply

• University: You are studying at the Universidade Politécnica de Setúbal.
• Level: You are enrolled in a short professional course (CTeSP), a bachelor's (licenciatura) or a master's (mestrado).
• Field of study: Any degree programme is eligible for the state’s DGES grant. The partner grants are linked to specific qualifications designated by the respective companies.
• Full enrolment: To be eligible for the government scholarship, you were enrolled in all the modules for your year of study throughout the academic year.
• Grades: To be eligible for the government scholarship, you must have passed all your modules with an average mark of at least 16 out of 20 (‘very good’). The partner awards are presented to the top graduates or to the students with the highest entry marks in a particular degree programme.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Financial need: Not required. These awards recognise academic achievement exclusively.

How to apply

You do not need to submit an application for the DGES merit-based scholarship. The university’s academic department automatically selects eligible students based on their results and publishes a provisional list. You then have 5 working days to lodge an appeal before the final list is confirmed.

If you are looking for additional funding alongside this merit award, our guide Scholarships in Portugal covers further opportunities across Portugal.