Universities Would Have to Put 15 Percent of Tuition Income Into Student Support When the Fee Freeze Ends, Under the 2027 Budget

Portugal's public universities and polytechnics would have to put 15 percent of what they collect in tuition fees (propinas) back into student social support, under the government's 2027 budget proposal. Education Minister Fernando Alexandre defended the rule in parliament on Wednesday night, saying it would "guarantee some fairness within the system", and promised that the poorest students would not pay for the end of the fee freeze, Lusa reported via RTP.

The minister was speaking at a joint hearing of parliament's budget and education committees on the 2027 State Budget (OE2027). Observador reports that the session ended at 2.15 in the morning.

What changes for fees

The maximum undergraduate fee at a public institution has been 697 euros a year since 2020/2021. As we reported when the bill was delivered, the proposal ends the freeze from the 2027/2028 academic year and lets the cap rise with inflation. Parliament blocked the same move in last year's budget by passing a Socialist (PS) amendment, Lusa recalls.

What is new is where part of the money would go. According to Lusa, the proposal says 15 percent of tuition revenue must be reassigned to each institution's social action services (ação social escolar), the offices that run grants, canteens and student residences. Fernando Alexandre told MPs, according to Observador, that the families who can afford the fees should cover the update, and that for the neediest students it would be covered by social support. The Communist (PCP) MP Paula Santos accused the ministry of making students pay for their own social support.

What support exists

• Grants: the budget sets aside about 125 million euros for social support, housing, academic success and wellbeing, Lusa reports, with the new grant rules (Portaria n.º 331-B/2026/1) applying in full from 2027/2028. From then, a grant will be worked out from the average cost of studying in each municipality (fees, food, transport and housing) and what the family can contribute.
• Incentive grant: this year, students entering higher education for the first time whose family is in the first child-benefit bracket (abono de família, 1.º escalão) can claim a fixed 1,075 euros on top of an ordinary grant. The form is on the BeOn platform until 31 May 2027, according to the Instituto para o Ensino Superior.

What it means for you

Nothing changes for the current academic year: the 697-euro cap stands until 2027/2028. Families of students who qualify for a grant should, on the minister's account, see any rise absorbed by the grant. Families who pay full fees would pay the inflation update. The national cap applies to residents, whatever their nationality; students enrolled under the separate international student statute pay fees set under their own rules.

None of this is law yet. MPs can still amend the budget before the final vote on 24 November, and the opposition has stopped an unfreeze once before. Our guide explains how to apply for a university grant (bolsa de estudo).