The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Banco Santander and the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) launch the Santander Erasmus Scholarship Programme

This morning, the minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Pedro Duque; Santander Group executive chairman, Ana Botín; and the president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), Roberto Fernández, signed an agreement to launch the “Becas Santander Erasmus” scholarship programme, which aims to acknowledge the academic excellence of Erasmus+ students and encourage educational inclusion and equal opportunities.

In this first edition, Santander will invest close to EUR 2 million (EUR 1,936,400). It will offer 2,152 scholarships of EUR 3,200 and EUR 500, and 3,000 grants of EUR 150, to young people wishing to study at any educational centre in the European Union or perform international internships.

To decide who will receive the largest scholarships, which account for 25% of the programme’s funds, the universities will assess the students’ academic record and vulnerability status (underprivileged background and recognised disability of more than 33%). The universities will select students for the EUR 500 scholarships and EUR 150 grants on the basis of their academic record and will prioritise those in a vulnerable situation.

The scholarships will be distributed as follows:

• 152 scholarships of EUR 3,200 each:
  -76 scholarships will be awarded to students receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant for studying in Europe and/or doing internships, who have the best academic record and have received a general, socio-economic scholarship from the ministry the previous academic year.
  -76 scholarships will be awarded to students receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant for studying in Europe and/or doing international internships, who have the best academic records and who are registered as having a disability of 33% or more.
• 2,000 scholarships of EUR 500 each to students receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant for studying in Europe and/or doing internships, and who have the best academic records.
• 3,000 grants of EUR 150 each to students receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant for studying in Europe and/or gaining work experience, who are not recipients of any of the Santander Erasmus scholarships described above and who have the best academic records.

   

Training and employment plan
In order to promote their professional development, the students taking part in the initiative will be offered a training and employment plan before, during and after their stay abroad. Those studying in countries where Santander has a branch network will be able to withdraw cash without fees from the Bank’s ATMs using their Santander debit card.

In addition, the Bank will include the recipients of these scholarships in its internal selection processes, through which more than 800 young people are chosen for internships each year.

Pedro Duque stressed that this agreement is another example of “Banco Santander’s important support for university students and its concern for the future of young people. We share an interest in improving the quality of Spanish universities, enhancing their equity and promoting their internationalisation; consequently, this agreement is one more step toward achieving these ends”. The minister of Science, Innovation and Universities also stressed that the signing of the agreement “entails an effort by public and private entities and that we all must give universities a priority position in Spain’s social and economic development strategy”.

Ana Botín, Group executive chairman of Banco Santander, stated, “Europe is more inclusive and stronger with programmes like Erasmus+. The Santander Erasmus scholarships want to recognize this work which started 30 years ago and demonstrate Santander’s commitment to equal opportunity and educational excellence.”

The president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), Roberto Fernández, stated that “investing in the education of our young people is the first step towards a better future for everyone in Spain”. He added that “the Erasmus Programme for University Mobility has shown, in recent years, its capacity to improve students’ ability to acquire capacities and skills, which later translates not only into greater employability but also into better jobs”. He said that, for this reason, “any initiative that makes it easier for interested students to access this programme is a step forward on the path to the knowledge economy which we want to be the engine of the European Union’s economy”. Mr Fernández emphasised that “education is the most effective tool to achieve social cohesion and sustainable economic development” and that “these Santander Erasmus scholarships will help us come a little closer to meeting these two goals”.

On behalf of Spanish universities, he thanked “Banco Santander for its firm, unwavering commitment to higher education”.

Young people wishing to receive one of these scholarships may register starting 1 October 2018 through the Santander Scholarships platform: becas-santander.com/erasmus. For the granting of these scholarships, the universities will be in charge of selecting those applicants who have been beneficiaries of the Erasmus + Programme and who have the best academic record. 

More information can be found on these scholarships by following this link: becas-santander.com/erasmus

The Erasmus+ Programme, administrated by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, which has been operating for 30 years, has benefited nearly 600,000 university students. Of the more than 100,000 university students in Spain who apply each year for an Erasmus+ Scholarship, either for studies or international internships, 45,000 receive scholarships. 

Banco Santander’s firm commitment to higher education is expressed through Santander Universities, a unique international initiative that sets Santander apart from other financial institutions. Banco Santander is the worlds’ largest corporate investor in support for education (Varkey/UNESCO-Fortune 500 Report) and, through Santander Universities and Universia, it has approximately 1,300 cooperation agreements with universities and academic institutions in 21 countries. Since 2002, it has earmarked more than EUR 1,600 million to academic initiatives and programmes.