Pallars Sobirà approves dining hall grants based on distance to the center

The Pallars Sobirà County Council has approved the regulatory bases for the granting of individual dining hall grants due to distance from the educational center, aimed at students of compulsory education and the second cycle of early childhood education in centers funded with public funds, for the 2026-2027 school year. The call is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Lleida number 172, dated September 8, 2026, with official reference BOP-2026_0_172_7563 (edict 7563, pages 1-11).

The purpose of the bases is to regulate the content, the management procedure, and the granting of these grants for geographical reasons, in accordance with the budget availability and the criteria of the Department of Education of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The document, signed by the president of the County Council, Carlos Luis Isus Castellarnau, on September 7, 2026, repeals the bases for the 2025-2026 school year, published in the BOP of Lleida number 90, dated May 7, 2025.

Legal framework and competencies

The bases are framed within Law 38/2003, of November 17, general law on subsidies, and Decree 160/1996, of May 14, which regulates the school dining hall service and provides for the possibility of granting aid to students who are not entitled to free service. They are also based on Law 12/2009, on education, and Agreement GOV/128/2021, of August 31, on the delegation of competencies to county councils in educational matters, assumed by Plenary 1/2023 on February 23, 2023.

Who can apply for the grant and the amount

Beneficiaries may be students of early childhood, primary, and compulsory secondary education enrolled in public centers in Pallars Sobirà who meet the following requirements:

• Reside in Catalonia and be enrolled in a center supported by public funds in the county.
• Not have the dining hall service free of charge nor be in residential care.
• Make use of the school dining hall service.
• Reside in a population center different from the municipality where the educational center is located.

The grant covers 50% of the cost of the dining hall service per student and day of use, meaning the family must pay the remaining 50%. The grant is compatible with other subsidies for the same purpose, provided that the total does not exceed the total cost of the service.

Deadlines, processing, and documentation

Applications shall be submitted using the standardized form (Annex 1) to the General Registry of the County Council, within the deadline set by the call published in the BOP of Lleida. The required documentation includes:

• Standardized application form with the IDALU (student identification code from the RALC Registry).
• Certificate of coexistence and NIF/NIE of the beneficiaries.
• Authorization to consult the municipal register and, if applicable, a court ruling or regulatory agreement in case of separation or divorce.

During the course, subsequent requests for new enrollment or unforeseen situations will be accepted, effective from the date the request is registered. The maximum period for resolution and notification is 6 months from the closing of the submission period, and administrative silence shall be considered a rejection. An appeal for reversal may be filed against the resolution before the Plenary of the Comarcal Council or a contentious-administrative appeal before the Contentious-Administrative Court of Lleida.

Impact on families

These guidelines are of direct interest to the families of students in Pallars Sobirà who, for reasons of geographical distance, must travel to an educational center located in a different nucleus from their place of residence. The aid, which is conditional upon the granting of subsidies by the Diputació de Lleida, alleviates the cost of the dining service and guarantees access to education under equal conditions in a mountain region with dispersed nuclei. The guidelines are subject to public consultation for 20 days before their final approval.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Lleida, no. 172, September 8, 2026, Local Administration section - Comarcal Councils, pp. 1-11 (official reference: BOP-2026_0_172_7563).