”la Caixa” Foundation Postgraduate Fellowships Programme

Funding Information

• The fellowship covers:
  • Tuition fees of the university where the fellow has been admitted to, with no limits to the amount.
  • Monthly allowance, which is due from the date the study programme starts. The amount of the allowances will vary depending on the host country.
  • For studies pursued in other EHEA countries, the monthly allowance will be calculated by converting 1,600 euros to local currency.
  • Initial amount equivalent to a monthly allowance, depending on the host country, for settling-in expenses, attendance at congresses and seminars.
  • Travel expenses:
    • For EHEA countries: Initial one-time amount of 500 euros.
    • For North America and the Asia-Pacific region: Initial one-time amount of 1,500 euros.
  • Final amount of 250 euros for expenses related to the awarding of the degree, accreditation of the marks received, and other administrative expenses that may arise from the completion of the studies for which the fellowship was awarded.
  • Cost of up to five application fees to host universities.
  • Student visa issuance fee, if required by the host country. For the United States, the SEVIS Fee is also included.
  • Prior meeting sessions before the start of the fellowship.
  • Health and accident insurance.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nationality: Applicants must have Spanish or Portuguese nationality.
• Studies pursued 
  • Those individuals who have earned all the credits for a bachelor’s degree between January 2016 and July 2025 are eligible to apply for the fellowship, provided that the bachelor degree is awarded by a Spanish university (Spanish candidates) or a Portuguese university (Portuguese candidates).
  • All credits are understood to have been earned when the only requirement that remains to apply for the awarding of the degree is the approval of the report, thesis, dissertation or final project, when so required.
  • In the latter case, upon receiving the fellowship and prior to availing of it, the candidate should accredit that they are in a position to apply for the awarding of the degree at their university.
  • Candidates who have completed a bachelor’s degree abroad before the start of the fellowship are not eligible for this call.
• Language proficiency: Applicants must accredit their proficiency in a foreign language by submitting any of the certificates mentioned below. Under no circumstances will any other certificate be accepted, despite being issued by the same organisations and/or accredit equivalence with any of the accepted levels:
  • Should the studies be taught in English, proficiency in this language must only be accredited with one of the following certificates:
    • English certificates accepted
      • Cambridge Certificates
      • First Certificate in English
      • Certificate in Advanced English
      • Certificate of Proficiency in English
      • IELTS or IELTS UKVI: Academic or General Training version
      • Linguaskill online test
      • TOEFL: Internet-based test
      • Duolingo English Test
      • School of Modern Languages (EIM) of the University of Barcelona
      • Official Language Schools (EOI) in Spain
  • If the chosen studies are taught in a foreign language other than English, applicants must accredit their proficiency in the host country’s language by submitting an official certificate showing that they have reached B2 level or higher of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Spanish applicants who are going to pursue studies in Spanish and Portuguese applicants who are going to pursue studies in Portuguese must accredit their proficiency in English.
  • Exemption from the language proficiency requirement: Applicants who pursued postgraduate studies (minimum of 2 academic years on a full-time basis) in the same language as the chosen studies applied for are exempt from submitting the certificate of proficiency as long as the language of instruction for these postgraduate studies was the official language in the country where they were pursued.

Conditions 

• The fellowships are intended for master’s or doctoral studies, which must start with the fellowship. Predoctoral scientific and technical research stays are also accepted.
• The call for applications covers all areas of knowledge. Master in Business Administration (MBA) programmes are excluded from the call.
• These fellowships are aimed at Spanish and Portuguese candidates who pursued their bachelor studies in Spain and Portugal respectively.
• Start of the fellowship
  • The start of the fellowship will coincide with the start of the study programme:
    • EHEA Countries: Fall term 2025-2026
    • Asia-Pacific: January-December 2026
    • North America: Fall term 2026-2027
  • Additional remarks:
    • Fellows must begin the study programme during the periods specified above, unless the programme for which the fellowship was awarded is only offered during a different period in the academic year.
    • On an exceptional basis, and only for predoctoral research stays in North America, some flexibility may be allowed with regard to the start date at the host university.
• Fellowships will be awarded for one academic year—which under no circumstances may be less than 9 months—and may be extended for a second academic year, up to a maximum of 24 months.
• All courses or credits must be completed outside Spain for Spanish candidates, and outside Portugal for Portuguese candidates.
• These fellowships are exclusively for attendance-based studies, with fellows completely devoting themselves to their studies on a full-time basis.

For more information, visit ”la Caixa” Foundation.