Overview of the Spanish Education System
Spain’s education framework is broad, with stages from preschool through tertiary education, managed both nationally and regionally.
- Early Childhood (Educación Infantil) Ages 0-6. The first cycle (0–3) is non-compulsory; the second cycle (3–6) is typically free in public institutions.
- Primary Education (Educación Primaria) Ages 6–12. Six years divided into three two-year cycles. This is part of the compulsory education phase.
- Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO / Educación Secundaria Obligatoria) Ages 12–16. Four years (often two cycles). After completing ESO, students receive the título de Graduado en ESO, opening pathways to upper secondary education or vocational training.
- Upper Secondary Education / Bachillerato / Vocational Training From ages 16–18, students may choose Bachillerato (academic track) or vocational/technical cycles (Formación Profesional).
- Higher Education (Universities & Postgraduate) Universities offer bachelor’s (grado), master’s (máster) and doctorate (doctorado) degrees. Admission usually requires passing the university entrance exam (Selectividad / EBAU). Public universities set tuition per credit by autonomous region; non-resident / foreign students may face higher fees in some cases.
- Private / International / Concertado Schools In addition to state schools, Spain has “concertado” (state-subsidized private) schools and purely private / international schools, offering bilingual or foreign curricula.
- Regional / Language Diversity Many autonomous communities incorporate co-official languages (e.g. Catalan, Basque, Galician) into schooling.
How Dogpay Can Help in Education / Payment Scenarios
For families, students, and educators dealing with cross-border tuition, schooling costs, or international educational services, Dogpay offers practical support in these areas:
- Paying International / Private / International School Fees When tuition or school fees are denominated in foreign currency or charged by institutions abroad, Dogpay allows you to convert and remit payments transparently, showing exchange rate breakdowns and minimizing hidden bank markups.
- Application Fees, Materials, Testing / Exam Payments Many schools or programs charge application fees, testing fees, document processing or registration costs abroad. Dogpay helps you pay those reliably and traceably across borders.
- Recurring Payments for Courses / Extracurriculars / Online Learning If your child attends online courses, language classes, or international programs billed periodically, Dogpay enables scheduling or automating those payments, reducing the risk of missed deadlines or currency fluctuations.
- School / Dorm Rent, Deposit, Housing-Related Costs Students often need to pay housing deposits, rent, utility setup, or dorm fees. These payments might come from foreign accounts or sources—Dogpay helps ensure they arrive correctly, with low friction and good tracking.
- Receipt & Payment Records for Visa, Scholarship, or Audit Purposes Visa authorities, scholarship bodies, or auditing offices sometimes require proof of payments (tuition, fees, housing). Dogpay’s exportable logs, timestamps, and receipts provide strong documentation.
- Budgeting & Minimizing Hidden Costs By reducing hidden transfer fees and offering clearer currency conversion margins, Dogpay helps families maximize their education budget (less money lost to bank spreads or intermediary fees).
