Hi guys I'm in my first year of uni, and I'm from the UK and came to Madrid to study architecture in English.
PLEASE LEARN SOME SPANISH BEFORE YOU COME!
This seems like a no brainer, but the amount of people that came here without knowing a single word of Spanish was astonishing.
It will make your life SO much easier. Easier to communicate, get around, and of course make friends.
The level of English here is very low. I took Spanish for A-level, so now I can speak at a conversational level. Also, if you know some Spanish before you come, you will pick up the language a lot faster.
Also, in regard to financial aid you will get nada from the university. Unless, you're on a scholarship or something. The Spanish banks won't give a loan either, unless you have a Spanish citizen that can vouch for you. I had to learn this the hard way.