Travel Support for Displaced Students Passes 4,000 Approvals

The regional Regresso a Casa measure has now passed 4,000 approved applications, supporting displaced students with travel back to their home island or to the Azores. According to the balance released by the Government of the Azores, more than 350,000 euros have already been paid through the programme.

The support is aimed at students who are away from their island because of their studies, covering inter-island travel as well as trips between the Azores and destinations outside the Region. The measure seeks to ease the cost of mobility in an archipelago where distance, insularity, and reliance on air or sea links can make returning home expensive.

For many Azorean families, studying away from the island of residence brings costs beyond tuition, accommodation, and food. Regular travel can become a significant part of that burden, especially when students are placed on another island or in mainland Portugal.

The number of approved applications underlines the demand for student mobility support in the Azores. By helping to fund these journeys, the Region aims to make it easier for young people who must leave their island to continue studying to maintain family and social ties.

The measure also matters for territorial cohesion. By acknowledging the extra costs faced by students depending on where they live, the support helps reduce practical inequalities within the archipelago. In the Azores, mobility is not just a logistical issue; it is a condition for access to education.