Award for Academic Excellence / Merit Scholarship (ESDi/FUNDIT)

What you get

ESDi, the Escola Superior de Disseny in Sabadell near Barcelona, offers two awards that cut the cost of a design degree. The Merit Scholarship (Beca Mèrit) is the big one: it covers 80% of the total course price for the Bachelor in Design (or the double degree Design + Smart Design). You can renew it in later years if you average at least 8 out of 10 each year and pass every subject on your first try. The Award for Academic Excellence is smaller and automatic: a 5% discount on the total course price for newly admitted students with top grades. Both are run by ESDi's foundation, FUNDIT, a private non-profit.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are joining ESDi in Sabadell (Spain) for the Bachelor in Design or a higher vocational training cycle (CFGS).
• Field of study: Design only, including fashion, graphic, audiovisual, product and interior design.
• Merit Scholarship: You enter the Mèrit Competition with a design project, and you have strong school grades and a clear reason for studying design at ESDi.
• Award for Academic Excellence: You are newly admitted and have an average grade above 9.01 from your Bachillerato, another vocational cycle, or another university degree. No project needed; the grade decides automatically.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.

How to apply

For the Award for Academic Excellence you do nothing extra: your grades trigger it. For the Merit Scholarship you email your application to ESDi's admissions office and include a design project on the year's set theme. In past years the window ran roughly from spring to the end of June. The winner is announced on the school's website.

How realistic are your chances?

The 5% Award for Academic Excellence is not a contest: if your average is above 9.01 and you enrol, you get it. The 80% Merit Scholarship is a real competition with only one winner each year, so it is far harder to land. To have a real shot you need both strong grades and a design project that stands out on the set theme.