Deadline: 31-Oct-2025
The Gulbenkian Merit Scholarships provides support to high-potential young people applying for the first year of higher education and who have limited financial resources.
Grants will only be awarded to selected candidates with an annual per capita income, as verified by the Social Action Services of the respective educational institution, of up to €14,000. Only candidates for legally recognized Portuguese institutions and duly accredited and registered study cycles will be considered. Applications from holders of a higher education degree are not accepted.
The scholarship provides a grant of €2,000 per academic year and includes a one-off additional support of €2,000 for a period of international mobility through Erasmus or other similar programs offered by each educational institution. Scholarships may be renewed until the completion of the master’s degree, subject to the renewal conditions set out in the regulations.
Applicants must complete and submit an online application form in Portuguese. Before submission, candidates are advised to consult the Regulations available in the documents area to ensure all eligibility criteria are met. To access the form, applicants must first register on the website and complete all required fields, including the upload of necessary documentation. It is recommended to avoid last-minute submissions to prevent technical issues.
A total of 500 scholarships will be awarded. Selection will be based on the application note for higher education, scores from national exams in specific subjects of the enrolled course, and annual per capita household income equal to or less than €14,000.
Scholarships will only be awarded to candidates whose annual per capita household income, as confirmed by the Social Action Services of the respective educational institution, does not exceed €14,000.
If any selected candidate’s income is later found to be above this limit, the awarded amount must be returned in full to the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Additionally, candidates who fail to submit the required documentation to DGES by December, leaving their income verification pending, will be excluded from consideration.
The deadline for application submission is October 31, 2025, at 3:00 PM.
For more information, visit Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.