As of next academic year, the Ministry of Education is launching the new mid-level vocational training scholarships, which will be launched on this occasion, and will significantly increase the higher-level scholarships, which will reach 50 percent more students and will involve investing in them 65 percent more public money. It is these last scholarships of up to 3,250 euros per year -for the lowest incomes- and from which the middle classes will be able to benefit, since they can be requested by families with an income ceiling of 35,000 euros per year for each member of the family unit.

These scholarships for higher degree FP, which until now were for a maximum amount of 2,600 euros, will reach up to 3,250 per year from the next academic year.

The beneficiaries, who until now were 7,800 current, will be about 12,000, according to those responsible for the Ministry of Education, headed by Enrique Ossorio.

The Governing Council yesterday approved an item of 30.5 million euros for this aid, which is 12 million more than last year. It tries to cover the increase in the demand for FP courses, which in recent years has become the star of the educational offer. In fact, for the first time this year, there have been more students enrolled in Vocational Training than in Baccalaureate, and thousands were left without a place in public centers due to this increase in demand.

To obtain this aid, the family income of the petitioners will be taken into account. Three sections are established: up to 6,455 euros per year of per capita income, which will benefit from the maximum amount of the scholarship: 3,250 euros per year; up to 15,000 euros per year for each member of the family unit, who will receive a scholarship of 2,875 euros per year if they are beneficiaries; and up to 35,913 euros per year of income for each member of the family, in which case the scholarship to be received will be 2,500 euros, respectively.

All these figures refer to the first year of the upper vocational training cycle; for the second and third years (the latter for double cycles) the aid will be 2,525, 2,225 and 1,925 euros, respectively.

In addition, the beneficiaries of the Minimum Insertion Income (RMI) and the Minimum Vital Income (IMV), will receive 3,500 euros in the first course and 2,800 in the second.

Both types of scholarships can be processed during this month of July, once the call is published in the Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid (BOCM) in the coming days. Those interested can obtain more information on the Community website, www.comunidad.madrid