Portuguese towns roll out school material grants for 2026‑27 year

The municipality of Paredes, Portugal, will support families of 1st‑cycle primary‑school pupils in the 2026/27 school year through a new School Social Action Plan. Eligible families receive vouchers – €16 for income‑scale A and €8 for scale B – to purchase essential school supplies. Voucher amounts vary by year: students in the 1st and 2nd grades can buy Portuguese, Mathematics and Study of the World textbooks, while those in the 3rd and 4th grades receive additional vouchers that also cover English materials. Distribution will be managed by municipal services, with vouchers mailed in early August and valid until 30 September. Local stationery shops must register on the municipality’s online portal by 3 July to take part.

In Tomar, the municipal authority has opened applications for financial aid to pre‑school and 1st‑cycle children for the same academic year. Applications are submitted online via the SIGA platform, with a deadline of 17 July for 1st‑cycle pupils and 30 September for pre‑school children. Families lacking internet access can obtain help at the town’s secondary schools or municipal library. Existing user credentials are reused, and new credentials can be requested by email.

Both programmes aim to ensure that children from low‑income households can obtain the necessary textbooks and school materials for the upcoming school term.