Alrededor de 700 jóvenes de Fuenlabrada podrán estudiar en el extranjero gracias al programa ‘Fuen English’

Around 700 students from Fuenlabrada, aged between 12 and 18 years old, will receive grants of up to 1,000 euros this year through the pioneering program Fuen English, aimed at financing language immersion trips organized by local schools.

94% of the young applicants for these grants from the Fuen English program will ultimately benefit from the subsidy granted by the Fuenlabrada City Council to study English abroad after being admitted to the final lists published this Tuesday, as stated by the municipality in a note.

«The Fuen English program is a clear commitment by this municipality to equal opportunities, ensuring that the economic situation of families does not influence the possibility for young people to have this experience abroad,» highlighted the mayor, Javier Ayala.

Ayala also emphasized that, in the four years this municipal aid has been available, a pioneer in the Comunidad de Madrid, «over 2,700 students in the city have benefited from this program.»

This year, in its fourth edition, this pioneering program had a budget of 600,000 euros for the 27 public and charter schools offering ESO, Bachillerato, and FP that applied for the grants, covering around 80% of the total program cost per student.

Fuen English sets a minimum grant per student if the destination country is an English-speaking one, and a slightly lower amount if it is not, but English is the vehicular language, with the average grant awarded being almost 900 euros.

These amounts are further increased for lower-income families, with an additional variable amount based on trip characteristics, potentially reaching a maximum amount of 1,000 euros.

This year, the trips included in Fuen English have destinations such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, Malta, and Germany, primarily taking place between September and November with a duration mostly of 10 days.

During their stay, the young people will engage in cultural visits, activities with host families and other students from the residence, classes in various disciplines in English, and overall daily life and educational experiences in the foreign country, enhancing their language skills.