08 - Poland - Financial Support for Students

Students in teacher training colleges, foreign language teacher training colleges and colleges of social work

College students are covered by the legislation concerning financial support from the State budget or local government budgets for pupils and other learners in schools and establishments providing education below the higher education level (1991 Act on the Education System, as amended). They are entitled to receive non-refundable financial support until the completion of their college programme, but not longer than up to the age of 24 years. Two types of financial support are available: maintenance support, including school grants and school aid benefits, and incentive support, including school scholarships for learning and sporting achievements.

School grantsmay be awarded in the following forms: fully or partially covered costs of participation in extracurricular educational activities and educational activities organised outside a given college; fully or partially covered costs related to education received away from the student’s place of residence; in-kind educational support, in particular the purchase of textbooks; in-cash payment in case the above-mentioned forms of support are considered inadequate by the body awarding school grants. The criterion of eligibility for a school grant is the level of monthly per capita income in the student’s family, which may not be higher than the amount specified in the legislation on social welfare. School grants are usually paid on a monthly basis. School aid benefitsmay be awarded to students who are temporarily in a difficult financial situation for reasons beyond their control. Such benefits may be granted in the form of an in-cash benefit to cover costs related to education or in-kind educational support, once or several times in a year, independently of a school grant. Both types of financial support are financed from the funds received as a specific-purpose subsidy by the communes (lowest-level local government units) from the State budget.

Scholarships for learning achievementsmay be awarded to students who have a high average mark in a semester preceding the one in which it is awarded. Scholarships for sporting achievementsmay be awarded to students who have ranked high in sport competitions at least at an inter-school/college level. Both types of scholarships are financed from revenues of the local government units.

Students in higher education institutions

Financial support for students enrolled on degree programmes and doctoral students is granted in the form of non-refundable and refundable support.

Non-refundable support

In accordance with the 2005 Law on Higher Education, students enrolled on degree programmesin all types of HEIs may apply for State-budget financial support in the following forms: a maintenance grant, a special grant for disabled persons, a meals grant, an accommodation grant, a scholarship for learning or sporting achievements, a scholarship for learning achievements awarded by the minister, a scholarship for outstanding sporting achievements awarded by the minister, and an aid payment. Students may receive financial support in several forms at the same. Maintenance grantsmay be awarded to students in a difficult financial situation. The eligibility criterion is the level of monthly per capita income in the student’s family; the level of income giving entitlement to a maintenance grant is determined by the rector of a given HEI, but may not be lower than the amount specified in the legislation on social welfare. Special grants for disabled personsmay be awarded to students with a disability confirmed by a certificate from a competent authority. Meals grantsmay be awarded to students in a difficult financial situation according to the same criterion as maintenance grants. Accommodation grantsmay be awarded to full-time students in a difficult financial situation, living in a student dormitory or another facility, if the daily travel from their place of permanent residence to their HEI prevented them otherwise from, or significantly hindered them in, studying. The financial situation of students applying for such grants is assessed according to the same criterion as in the case of maintenance grants. The two above-mentioned types of scholarships for learning or sporting achievementsmay be awarded to students who have obtained a high average mark for a year of study or have been highly placed in international or national sport contests respectively. Aid paymentsmay be granted to students who are temporarily in a difficult financial situation for reasons beyond their control.

In accordance with the 2005 Law on Higher Education, doctoral studentsmay be awarded State-budget financial support in the form of: a maintenance grant, a meals grant, an accommodation grant, a scholarship for learning achievementsand an aid payment, and aspecial grant for disabled persons. Financial support in these forms is granted in accordance with the same criteria as support for degree programme students, except for a scholarship for learning achievements. A scholarship for learning achievements may be awarded to a doctoral student in the first year of a doctoral programme who achieved very good or good results in the admissions process; and a doctoral student in the second and further years of a doctoral programme who achieved very good or good results in examinations, and who demonstrated progress in research work and the preparation of the doctoral thesis, as well as particularly strong commitment to teaching, in the academic year preceding the award of a scholarship. Moreover, doctoral students may be awarded a doctoral scholarshipif they teach classes as part of their practical training or carry out research which is of major importance to the development of the institution or to the accomplishment of its mission. A decision awarding a doctoral scholarship is taken by the rector of a given HEI who also specifies its amount and the period of entitlement to such a scholarship.

Refundable financial support

Refundable financial support is granted to students under 25 years of age enrolled on all types of degree programmes in all types of HEIs and doctoral students in the form of student credits and loanson the basis of the Act of 17 July 1998 on Student Loans and Credits. Student credits and loans are financed from the financial resources of commercial banks, with the costs of interest partly covered from the State budget.

Doctoral students in research institutions other than HEIs

Doctoral students in research institutions other than HEIs are eligible to apply for doctoral scholarships. Doctoral scholarships may be awarded to: students in the first year of a doctoral programme who achieved very good or good results in the admissions process; and students in the second and further years of a doctoral programme who achieved very good or good results in examinations, and who demonstrated progress in research work and the preparation of the doctoral thesis, as well as particularly strong commitment to teaching, in the academic year preceding the award of a scholarship.

Institutions:

Ministry of Science and Higher Education
ul. Wspólna 1/3 00-529 Warszawa 53
Tel.:+48 (22)-529-27-18
Website: http://www.mnisw.gov.pl

Ministry of National Education
00-918 Warszawa, Al. Szucha 25
Tel.:+48 (22) 628 69 53
Fax:+48 (22) 628 69 53
Website: http://www.men.gov.pl

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