The regional government is reinforcing Erasmus scholarships with more than 419,000 euros for university students in the Region
The regional government is reinforcing Erasmus scholarships with more than 419,000 euros for university students in the Region
The Regional Minister for Environment, Universities, Research and the Mar Menor, Juan María Vázquez, held a working meeting with the new president of the Student Council of the University of Murcia (UMU), Antonio Nicolás Fenoll, the former president of this body, Lucía Serna Martínez, and the president of the Student Council of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT), Zaira Ojeda Cano. During the meeting, he informed them of the increase in the regional funding allocated to Erasmus+ complementary grants for the 2024/2025 academic year, which doubles the allocation compared to the previous year.
In total, the regional government is allocating 419,150 euros to support the international mobility of students from the three universities in the Region of Murcia during the recently completed academic year. “We want students not to miss out on the Erasmus experience for economic reasons,” the minister stressed, highlighting that these grants complement those provided by the European Union and the Ministry, expanding students’ ability to cover accommodation, living expenses, and travel costs.
The Universities Minister signed the orders authorizing the awarding of these earmarked subsidies—already delivered—to the region’s three universities, with the aim of providing financial support to the Erasmus+ program during the 2024/2025 academic year. These funds serve as complementary assistance for financing the stays of selected students in the various mobility modalities (study, internships, and international mobility with third countries).
The minister explained to the student representatives that the improvement of these grants falls within the regional government’s commitment to equal opportunities in access to higher education and to the internationalization of the regional university system. In this regard, he recalled that the draft Law on Universities of the Region of Murcia considers mobility as a strategic pillar and includes scholarship and financial aid programs that complement national and European calls.
“The text recognizes the central role of students and their councils, and it establishes an adequate and sufficient system of scholarships and aid. These regional Erasmus grants are a concrete example of that model: a more open, international, and fair university system for everyone,” stated Juan María Vázquez.
Important role of the Student Councils in the new Law
During the meeting, the minister highlighted the role of the student councils as the highest student representative body in each university and as key interlocutors with the regional administration. The new law will grant the Student Councils representation of all students in the regional university system. There will be a Student Council of the Region of Murcia in which the three universities—UMU, UPCT, and UCAM—will be represented.
“We want students to be at the heart of decision-making, which is why these developments have been shared with them first-hand. We want them to participate in the development of the future Universities Law and in the design of scholarship policies, as the voice of students is essential for continued improvement,” the minister affirmed.
The earmarked subsidies to the universities are awarded for a specific purpose, ensuring that the ultimate beneficiaries are the students participating in the Erasmus+ program, whose expenses for stays at universities in the European Union or other participating countries may be covered by these funds.
“Investing in Erasmus means investing in talent, language skills, employability, and European values. Every student from Murcia who goes abroad returns with more training, more contacts, and greater ability to contribute to our Region. That is the best investment a government can make,” the minister concluded.
With this increase in Erasmus+ grants, the Government of the Region of Murcia reaffirms its commitment to responding to student demands and advancing towards a more international, accessible, and participatory university system.