Portugal - Guidance to Apply for Student Loan

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Procedure

Applying for the Government's Student Loan Scheme

It allows you to submit the application for educational support and complements. These are educational and social measures to support pupils from the basic, secondary and special education to ensure equal opportunities for educational access and success.

To be eligible for government programmes, students must be legal and regular residents of Portugal. EU citizens planning to apply for the scheme would therefore need to establish residence before applying. This is easily done under the freedom of movement provisions of the EU. EU regulations prevent Portugal from discriminating against a non-Portuguese EU citizen applying and receiving if eligible, a grant.

Non-EU students would need to be resident to be eligible for either a grant or a loan, so these are difficult for non-EU students to obtain. International students from Brazil can however qualify for the grant. International students can apply for student loans to study in Portugal, under the government scheme or under equivalent provisions.

Applying for a Student Loan Banks

Financial institutions in many countries offer educational finance, especially for local citizens wishing to pursue an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. These loans are typically repayable after completion of the course, although terms vary widely.

• Choose a student loan that best suits you and contact the bank with your application.
• Once you have completed the necessary steps, you will need to sign your Approval Disclosure to accept the terms of your loan.
• After you have signed your entire loan documents, your funds will be disbursed to your account.

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Required Documents

• Identity Card / Citizen Card
• Taxpayer ID (NIF)
• No. Social Security (NISS)
• IRS (if you delivered the statement)
• NIB (Bank Identification Number)

Office Locations & Contacts

Please list down the office locations that can be approached for applying. External links can also be used specifying office locations.

Eligibility

Students of public higher education;

Students of private higher education.

Fees

Explain the fees structure which is required for obtaining the certificate/document.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

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Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
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Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
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Instructions

The basic government grant system is run by the DGES, the Direco Geral do Ensino Superior (Directorate General of Higher Education). Application for a grant, or bolsa de estudo, is made at the university or place of study through the on-campus offices of either SAS (Servios de Ao Social) or GAS (Gabinete de Ao Social). Grants are based on need, assessed by measuring the family income.

Applications for loans are supported by the university in which the student is enrolled, but provided by private banks, which conform to standards set down by the government.

Required Information

• Your data
• Your study data
• Data from your parents
• Declaration
• Signature

Need for the Document

The Portuguese government has a grant system in place which is based on both need and merit. There is a government-backed loan system. Additional indirect support is provide through tax relief for parents on educational expenses and through family allowances.

Information which might help

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Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Education Useful Links

Ministry of Education and Science

Directorate General of Higher Education (DGES)

Citizen Portal of Portugal

Others

The grant system, which is strictly limited by family income, is the primary grant system available to local, EU and eligible international students. 15% of students at Portuguese universities have some form of grant.

Less than 4% of students at Portuguese universities and other institutions of higher education have a student loan. Apart from the student-loan scheme, a private loan could in principle be obtained by a student, but it would usually need to be guaranteed by a party such as a parent with a credit record acceptable to the bank. It may also be necessary to provide security in the form of property for a private loan.