Becas Iberoamerica Pregrado (Santander Open Academy)

What you get

You get 3,000 EUR to spend one academic semester, about six months, studying at a university in another Iberoamerican country. Iberoamerica means the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America plus Spain and Portugal. So the destinations include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Spain. The grant is paid by Grupo Santander (in the Chilean edition, Banco Santander Chile) and can be combined with other funding. In the Chilean round there were 239 places.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a bachelor's student. Postgraduates cannot apply.
• Your university: You are enrolled at one of the programme's partner universities in your country.
• Progress: You have completed at least your first two years of study, including all their credits, before you go abroad.
• Where you live: You live in the country running your edition of the programme (for the Chilean round, Chile).
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Insurance: If selected, you take out insurance for the whole stay. It must cover accidents, medical and hospital costs, repatriation and personal liability.

How to apply

You register on the Santander Open Academy platform. The actual application runs through your own university's international or mobility office, which pre-selects candidates by its own criteria. In the Chilean 2019 round the application window ran from 25 February to 23 April, with selection in early May.

How realistic are your chances?

The award is cut narrowly: you must study at a specific partner university, live in the running country and have finished two years. So the eligible group is limited, and your own university does the picking. If you clearly meet those conditions and your university nominates you, your prospects are solid. Note that all listed rounds are from 2018 to 2020 and are now closed. Watch your university's mobility office for a new cycle.