Starting April 29, families with children enrolled in publicly funded schools in the region can apply for school meal scholarships. The call, published in the Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid (BOCM), sets May 28 as the deadline for submitting applications.
To streamline the process, multiple application channels have been enabled, such as the institutional portal, the Cuenta Digital platform, official registries, and directly at schools. This measure aims to ensure that no eligible family misses out on aid due to access or management difficulties.
The data from the current academic year speaks for itself: 146,000 students have received these scholarships, almost 20,000 more than in the previous year.
The regional government has allocated 74.5 million euros for these aids in the upcoming academic year, with the goal of covering meal expenses for thousands of students. In the current year, 146,000 students have benefited from these scholarships, representing a significant increase from the previous year and making it the largest call to date.
The scholarships are aimed at students in Early Childhood Education, Primary, and Compulsory Secondary Education in public or subsidized centers, provided that the family's per capita income does not exceed 8,400 euros annually. However, there are groups that qualify for these aids regardless of the income limit, such as recipients of the Minimum Insertion Income (RMI) or the Minimum Vital Income (IMV), victims of violence or terrorism, foster care students, beneficiaries of international protection, or those affected by the war in Ukraine.
Also included are students officially enrolled who use school transport, and members of the Armed Forces and State Security Forces stationed in the Community of Madrid. Large families with a per capita income between 8,400 and 10,000 euros may receive aid equivalent to 30% of the service cost.
It is crucial to note that current beneficiaries must renew their application within the established period, proving they still meet the requirements. The Community of Madrid has implemented improvements in online processing, including a smart form, automatic error checks, and electronic signatures, thus simplifying the process and avoiding travel.
