Social Support and Grants

In the area of social empowerment, the Universidade Católica Portuguesa has, since its foundation, made a continuous effort to ensure that no student is prevented from completing their degree due to financial constraints. Committed to the goal of leaving no one behind and to reducing the financial burden on students’ families, the University offers, using its own funds and through various agreements with partner institutions:

• merit scholarships and monetary prizes that can be up to the value of the tuition fees, to reward students who achieve the best results;
• benefits for families with more than one child attending UCP;
• social support for undergraduate and integrated master's degree students;

This last area includes the Fundo Papa Francisco, a national initiative designed to ensure access to the University’s programmes for students in situations of particular need, including migrants and refugees.

In addition, the University promotes a Scholarship Programme for Refugees, contributing to academic and social integration and aligning with the UN goal of increasing access to higher education for refugees.

According to UNESCO, only 3% of refugees are enrolled in higher education. For this reason, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has set the target that by 2030, 15% of refugees should have access to higher education.