This morning, the minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Pedro Duque; Santander Group executive chairman, Ana Botín; and the president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), Roberto Fernández, signed an agreement to launch the “Becas Santander Erasmus” scholarship programme, which aims to acknowledge the academic excellence of Erasmus+ students and encourage educational inclusion and equal opportunities.

1. Corporate Communications
Ciudad Grupo Santander, edificio Arrecife, pl. 2
28660 Boadilla del Monte (Madrid) Tel.: +34 91 2895211
comunicacion@gruposantander.com
www.santander.com - Twitter: @bancosantander
The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities,
Banco Santander and the Conference of Rectors of
Spanish Universities (CRUE) launch the Santander
Erasmus Scholarship Programme
 Santander will award close to EUR 2 million in 2,152 scholarships of EUR 3,200 and 500 and
3,000 grants of EUR 150, to young people who want to study at any educational centre in the
European Union or perform international internships.
 Through this programme, Banco Santander aims to acknowledge the academic excellence of
Erasmus+ students, and promote social inclusion and equal opportunities.
Madrid, 6 September 2018 – PRESS RELEASE
This morning, the minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Pedro Duque; Santander Group
executive chairman, Ana Botín; and the president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities
(CRUE), Roberto Fernández, signed an agreement to launch the “Becas Santander Erasmus” scholarship
programme, which aims to acknowledge the academic excellence of Erasmus+ students and encourage
educational inclusion and equal opportunities.
In this first edition, Santander will invest close to EUR 2 million (EUR 1,936,400). It will offer 2,152
scholarships of EUR 3,200 and EUR 500, and 3,000 grants of EUR 150, to young people wishing to study
at any educational centre in the European Union or perform international internships.
To decide who will receive the largest scholarships, which account for 25% of the programme’s funds,
the universities will assess the students’ academic record and vulnerability status (underprivileged
background and recognised disability of more than 33%). The universities will select students for the
EUR 500 scholarships and EUR 150 grants on the basis of their academic record and will prioritise those
in a vulnerable situation.
The scholarships will be distributed as follows:
 152 scholarships of EUR 3,200 each:
o 76 scholarships will be awarded to students receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant for
studying in Europe and/or doing internships, who have the best academic record and
have received a general, socio-economic scholarship from the ministry the previous
academic year.
o 76 scholarships will be awarded to students receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant for
studying in Europe and/or doing international internships, who have the best academic
records and who are registered as having a disability of 33% or more.
 2,000 scholarships of EUR 500 each to students receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant for
studying in Europe and/or doing internships, and who have the best academic records.

2. Corporate Communications
Ciudad Grupo Santander, edificio Arrecife, pl. 2
28660 Boadilla del Monte (Madrid) Tel.: +34 91 2895211
comunicacion@gruposantander.com
www.santander.com - Twitter: @bancosantander
 3,000 grants of EUR 150 each to students receiving an Erasmus+ mobility grant for studying in
Europe and/or gaining work experience, who are not recipients of any of the Santander
Erasmus scholarships described above and who have the best academic records.
Training and employment plan
In order to promote their professional development, the students taking part in the initiative will be
offered a training and employment plan before, during and after their stay abroad. Those studying in
countries where Santander has a branch network will be able to withdraw cash without fees from the
Bank’s ATMs using their Santander debit card.
In addition, the Bank will include the recipients of these scholarships in its internal selection processes,
through which more than 800 young people are chosen for internships each year.
Pedro Duque stressed that this agreement is another example of “Banco Santander’s important support
for university students and its concern for the future of young people. We share an interest in improving
the quality of Spanish universities, enhancing their equity and promoting their internationalisation;
consequently, this agreement is one more step toward achieving these ends”. The minister of Science,
Innovation and Universities also stressed that the signing of the agreement “entails an effort by public
and private entities and that we all must give universities a priority position in Spain’s social and
economic development strategy”.
Ana Botín, Group executive chairman of Banco Santander, stated, “Europe is more inclusive and
stronger with programmes like Erasmus+. The Santander Erasmus scholarships want to recognize this
work which started 30 years ago and demonstrate Santander’s commitment to equal opportunity and
educational excellence.”
The president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), Roberto Fernández, stated
that “investing in the education of our young people is the first step towards a better future for
everyone in Spain”. He added that “the Erasmus Programme for University Mobility has shown, in
recent years, its capacity to improve students’ ability to acquire capacities and skills, which later
translates not only into greater employability but also into better jobs”. He said that, for this reason,
“any initiative that makes it easier for interested students to access this programme is a step forward
on the path to the knowledge economy which we want to be the engine of the European Union’s
economy”. Mr Fernández emphasised that “education is the most effective tool to achieve social
cohesion and sustainable economic development” and that “these Santander Erasmus scholarships will
help us come a little closer to meeting these two goals”.
On behalf of Spanish universities, he thanked “Banco Santander for its firm, unwavering commitment
to higher education”.
Young people wishing to receive one of these scholarships may register starting 1 October 2018 through
the Santander Scholarships platform: becas-santander.com/erasmus. For the granting of these
scholarships, the universities will be in charge of selecting those applicants who have been beneficiaries
of the Erasmus + Programme and who have the best academic record.
More information can be found on these scholarships by following this link: becas-
santander.com/erasmus

3. Corporate Communications
Ciudad Grupo Santander, edificio Arrecife, pl. 2
28660 Boadilla del Monte (Madrid) Tel.: +34 91 2895211
comunicacion@gruposantander.com
www.santander.com - Twitter: @bancosantander
The Erasmus+ Programme, administrated by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, which
has been operating for 30 years, has benefited nearly 600,000 university students. Of the more than
100,000 university students in Spain who apply each year for an Erasmus+ Scholarship, either for
studies or international internships, 45,000 receive scholarships.
Banco Santander’s firm commitment to higher education is expressed through Santander Universities,
a unique international initiative that sets Santander apart from other financial institutions. Banco
Santander is the worlds’ largest corporate investor in support for education (Varkey/UNESCO-Fortune
500 Report) and, through Santander Universities and Universia, it has approximately 1,300 cooperation
agreements with universities and academic institutions in 21 countries. Since 2002, it has earmarked
more than EUR 1,600 million to academic initiatives and programmes.