The Regional Government of Madeira has announced the official reopening of the Island Student Program, fulfilling its commitment to support displaced students and their families. This treasury mechanism ensures that young people from Madeira and Porto Santo pay only €59 per trip on connections to the mainland and the Azores, without needing to advance the full ticket cost.
The implementation of this measure is the result of a joint effort between the Regional Secretariat for Finance and the Regional Secretariat for Tourism. Regional Finance Secretary Duarte Freitas expressed satisfaction with the reactivation of this mechanism, highlighting that the Regional Government is keeping its word by eliminating the "financial suffocation" for families.
The reopening follows the extension of the Social Mobility Subsidy until June 30, 2027, and the approval of a new Regulation for Specific Support for Student Passengers, with retroactive effects from June 6, 2026. Since its launch in 2018, the program has benefited over 11,200 students, with an accumulated investment exceeding €37 million, reaffirming the commitment to equal opportunities and the future of youth.
