LAE/OPEKA: €1,000 student award applications extended to 16 November
The extension concerns eligible children entering a Greek public university for the first time in 2026. There are 2,106 places; applying does not guarantee the award.
Applications for €1,000 awards–scholarships under the Agricultural Welfare Account (LAE/OPEKA) have been extended until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, 16 November 2026. The previous deadline was 15 October.
OPEKA’s original announcement is dated 14 October 2026. This extends an existing programme; it is not a new universal benefit for all first-year university students.
Who is eligible
The programme covers 2,106 children with direct or indirect entitlement to LAE/OPEKA benefits. They must meet all the conditions: have been school pupils in 2025–2026, be unmarried and unemployed, and enrol for the first time at a Greek public higher-education institution after success in the 2026 national entrance examinations or an admission process recognised as equivalent by the responsible ministry.
How applications are submitted
Applications are electronic, through OPEKA’s dedicated application hosted by IDIKA. The directly entitled parent applies. The child applies personally in the specific cases listed in the announcement: an orphan’s pension, a disability pension for a child incapable of any work, or an e-EFKA (OGA) paraplegia–tetraplegia allowance.
If eligible applications exceed places
If qualifying applications exceed the available places, final beneficiaries will be selected by an electronic draw, with results announced by OPEKA. The release does not set a payment date. Applying therefore does not mean automatic approval or immediate payment.
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