A total of 187,217 students in the Canary Islands received some form of grant or study aid during the past 2024-2025 academic year. These aids cover essential expenses such as school supplies, transportation, and meals. The total number of grants awarded reached 246,550, as a single student can access multiple support lines depending on their circumstances. These figures are derived from the Statistics on Study Grants and Aid published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
In the Canary Islands, the funding for these grants is distributed differently from the rest of Spain. While nationally the Ministry of Education and the autonomous communities contribute 48% and 52% respectively, in the Archipelago, the distribution is 41% for the Ministry and 59% for the Government of the Canary Islands. Sociologist Saturnino Martínez, specializing in inequality and education, attributes this difference to the Archipelago's geographical particularities, such as its double insularity and remoteness, which increase the mobility needs of students, especially those who must travel between islands or to the mainland for their education. Consequently, the island councils and the regional government play a more active role.
Despite the greater regional involvement in the number of students supported, the majority of funding comes from the Ministry of Education, which allocated 125.7 million euros to grants in the Canary Islands during the 2024-2025 academic year. The autonomous community contributed 28.8 million euros. A significant 96.7% of grant recipients pursued their studies in public institutions.
Compulsory education levels (Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education) accounted for the largest number of beneficiaries, representing 74.5% of the total. This was followed by post-compulsory education (nearly 15%) and university studies (10.6%). Regarding the distribution of aid, 56.6% was allocated to compulsory stages, 23.8% to post-compulsory education, and 19.6% to university studies.
Although university students represent a smaller group in terms of beneficiary numbers, they received the highest amount of aid per person. The 19,823 university students with grants accumulated 48,284 awards, averaging 2.4 grants per student. In post-compulsory education, the average was 2.1 grants, while in compulsory stages, it was approximately one grant per beneficiary.
The total investment in university studies amounted to 57.1 million euros, slightly exceeding post-compulsory education (56 million) and compulsory education, early childhood, and special education (41.3 million). The average investment per university student was 2,961 euros, significantly higher than the 2,006 euros for post-compulsory students and the 296 euros for compulsory stages. These differences are attributed to the higher costs associated with university education, such as tuition fees, accommodation, and travel between islands or to the mainland.
The Department of Universities, Science, Innovation, and Culture has extended the application deadline for grants for undergraduate, master's, and higher artistic education programs until August 16, for the 2026-2027 academic year. The initial deadline was August 6. This year's new features include an increase in the residence grant to 3,000 euros and the inclusion of public higher artistic education among eligible programs. Applications can be submitted through the electronic headquarters of the Government of the Canary Islands.
Saturnino Martínez, a sociologist, emphasizes that financial aid is crucial for equal opportunities but insufficient on its own to correct deep-rooted inequalities. He proposes incorporating the 'opportunity cost,' which is the income families forgo when a young person studies instead of entering the workforce, particularly in low-income households. This factor, according to Martínez, also contributes to early school leaving, as the demand for unskilled labor may lead some young people to prefer working due to the potential loss of income.
The sociologist also highlights the influence of the family environment on equal opportunities. He notes that families with higher educational attainment and purchasing power tend to invest more time and resources (extracurricular activities, private tutoring) to support their children through academic difficulties, which can result in them achieving higher educational levels than their peers from humbler backgrounds.
