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Social scholarship increased, among others, because of the place of residence

A student in an exceptionally difficult financial situation may also receive an allowance to the social scholarship in the form of an “increase” inter alia for:

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Rector’s Scholarship

Students whose academic year begins in the winter semester may submit their applications:

from 1 October to 30 October.

Students whose academic year begins in the summer semester may submit their applications:

from 1 March to 25 March.

Social Scholarship

To facilitate the processing of applications at the beginning of the academic year, students are advised to submit their applications:

• by 30 October – for programmes whose academic year begins in the winter semester;
• by 25 March – for programmes whose academic year begins in the summer semester.

These deadlines do not prevent students from applying for the Social Scholarship at a later date.

If a complete application is submitted on or before the 20th day of a given month, the scholarship may be awarded from that month. If the application is submitted after the 20th day of the month, the scholarship may be awarded from the following month, provided that all eligibility requirements are met.

Scholarship for Students with Disabilities

Applications may be submitted during the academic year.

If a complete application is submitted on or before the 20th day of a given month, the scholarship may be awarded from that month. If the application is submitted after the 20th day of the month, the scholarship may be awarded from the following month, provided that all eligibility requirements are met.

Emergency Financial Aid

An application for Emergency Financial Aid must be submitted within 90 days of the event giving rise to the application.

In exceptional circumstances, the 90-day period may be extended.

WHERE CAN I SUBMIT MY DOCUMENTS?

Applications together with all required supporting documents may be submitted in person or sent by traditional post.

Students enrolled at a University Branch should submit their applications together with all required documents to the appropriate administrative unit of their University Branch.

Vistula University – 3 Stokłosy Street

Financial Aid Department
3 Stokłosy Street, Room 207
02-787 Warsaw

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

tel. +48 22 45 72 321
e-mail: r.keller@vistula.edu.pl

Additionally, in October 2026:

Saturdays: 3, 10, 17 and 24 October
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Vistula University – Kawęczyńska 36 Campus

Student Welfare and Disability Support Office
36 Kawęczyńska Street, Room F207 (2nd floor)
03-772 Warsaw

Thursdays: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

tel. +48 22 59 00 727
e-mail: r.keller@vistula.edu.pl

Additionally, in October 2026:

Sundays: 11 and 25 October
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

IMPORTANT – PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL AID

The total period during which a student may be eligible for financial aid is 12 semesters, regardless of whether the student actually received financial aid during those semesters, subject to the following limits:

• first-cycle studies – no longer than 9 semesters;
• second-cycle studies – no longer than 7 semesters.

The total eligibility period is extended by 2 semesters for students enrolled in long-cycle Master’s degree programmes whose statutory duration is 11 or 12 semesters.

All semesters commenced by the student in first-cycle, second-cycle and long-cycle Master’s degree programmes are included in the eligibility period, including semesters during which the student was on an authorised leave of absence.

Semesters of subsequent first-cycle studies commenced or continued after obtaining the first Bachelor’s, Engineer’s or equivalent professional degree are not included in this period.

If a student is simultaneously enrolled in more than one degree programme, semesters completed at the same time are counted as one semester.

Financial aid is not available to a student who already holds:

• a Master’s degree, Master of Engineering degree or equivalent professional qualification;
• a Bachelor’s degree, Engineer’s degree or equivalent professional qualification, if the student enrols again in a first-cycle degree programme.

These rules also apply accordingly to students who studied or obtained professional qualifications abroad.

If a student’s disability occurred during their studies or after obtaining a professional degree, the Scholarship for Students with Disabilities may be awarded for an additional period of 12 semesters, in accordance with the Financial Aid Regulations.

SOCIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The Social Scholarship may be awarded to a student who is in a difficult financial situation.

Eligibility for the Social Scholarship is determined on the basis of the monthly income per person in the student’s family, in accordance with the Polish Act – Law on Higher Education and Science, the Act on Family Benefits and the University’s Financial Aid Regulations.

The student is responsible for providing documentation confirming their financial situation.

When determining the student’s financial situation, the income of the following persons is taken into account, as applicable:

• the student;
• the student’s spouse;
• dependent children of the student or the student’s spouse;
• the student’s parents, legal or actual guardians and their dependent children – in accordance with the rules specified in the Financial Aid Regulations.

The rules concerning loss of income and newly acquired income are also taken into account.

A student who does not share a household with either parent or with their legal or actual guardians may, subject to the requirements specified in the Financial Aid Regulations, apply for the scholarship without declaring the income of those persons.

If the monthly income per person in the student’s family does not exceed the amount specified in the applicable social assistance legislation, the student must attach an appropriate certificate issued by a social assistance centre or social services centre. If the student or members of their family do not receive social assistance benefits, the student must provide documentation confirming the family’s sources of income in accordance with applicable law.

Social Scholarship at an increased rate

In particularly justified circumstances, a student may be awarded the Social Scholarship at an increased rate.

Circumstances justifying an increased scholarship may include, in particular:

• living in a student dormitory or other accommodation where daily commuting from the student’s permanent place of residence to the University would make studying impossible or significantly more difficult;
• living with a non-working spouse or the student’s child in a student dormitory or other accommodation;
• a serious health situation involving high treatment costs;
• another special, appropriately documented financial, living or unforeseen situation.

The above list of circumstances justifying an increased scholarship is not exhaustive.

Social Scholarship for international students

International students may apply for the Social Scholarship if they meet the requirements specified in Article 324(3) of the Polish Act – Law on Higher Education and Science.

This includes, among others, students who:

• hold a permanent residence permit or have EU long-term resident status;
• hold an appropriate temporary residence permit in the circumstances specified by law;
• have been granted refugee status in the Republic of Poland or have been granted temporary protection or subsidiary protection in Poland;
• hold a certificate confirming proficiency in Polish as a foreign language at a minimum C1 level;
• hold a valid Polish Card (Karta Polaka) or a decision confirming Polish origin;
• are a spouse, ascendant or descendant of a Polish citizen and reside in Poland;
• fall within another category of international students eligible under Article 324(3) of the Act.

Eligibility for the Social Scholarship is assessed individually on the basis of the student’s current legal status and the documents submitted.

SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Scholarship for Students with Disabilities may be awarded to a student who holds:

• a disability certificate;
• a certificate specifying the degree of disability;
• another certificate recognised as equivalent under applicable law.

The scholarship is awarded regardless of the student’s financial situation.

It is awarded for the period of validity of the disability certificate, but no longer than for the relevant academic year.

If the disability certificate expires during the academic year, payment of the scholarship is suspended from the month following the month in which the certificate expires, unless the validity of the certificate is maintained under applicable law.

The student should promptly provide a document confirming the continued validity of the certificate or submit a new certificate.

If a new certificate or applicable law confirms continuity of the validity period of the previous certificate, entitlement to the scholarship for the period of continuity is determined taking into account the new certificate and the previous decision. This does not exclude the possibility of receiving payment for the period during which all eligibility requirements were met.

If the disability occurred during the student’s studies or after obtaining a professional degree, the student may receive the Scholarship for Students with Disabilities for an additional period of 12 semesters, in accordance with the Financial Aid Regulations.

RECTOR’S SCHOLARSHIP

The Rector’s Scholarship may be awarded to a student who has achieved:

• outstanding academic results; or
• scientific achievements; or
• artistic achievements; or
• sports achievements in competition at least at national level.

Academic results and achievements are assessed on the basis of the previous completed year of study comprising two semesters, including programmes whose academic year runs from March to February.

A student may apply for the scholarship on the basis of academic results after completing the first year of a first-cycle or long-cycle Master’s degree programme and being admitted to the next year of study.

A first-year student of a second-cycle programme may apply on the basis of academic results achieved during the final year of first-cycle studies, provided that the student commenced second-cycle studies within 24 months of completing first-cycle studies.

The scholarship may also be awarded to a student admitted to the first year of study in the same year in which they completed their secondary school leaving examination, if the student is:

• a laureate of an international competition or a laureate or finalist of a national-level competition;
• a medallist in sports competition for at least the title of Polish Champion in a particular sport.

Students eligible for the Rector’s Scholarship must obtain a total of at least 4.35 points for their grade average and scientific, artistic or sports achievements.

Due to the statutory limit on the number of scholarship recipients, the actual qualifying point threshold may be higher and may differ between degree programmes.

The Rector’s Scholarship may be awarded to no more than 10% of students in a particular degree programme, from among students who have submitted an application and meet all applicable requirements.

The Rector’s Scholarship cannot be awarded to a student who, among other circumstances:

• is repeating a year or semester;
• did not pass all courses at the first scheduled attempt;
• is repeating one or more courses under conditional enrolment for the current year;
• resumed studies after being removed from the student register due to failure to complete a semester or academic year;
• returned from an authorised or medical leave of absence and has not completed the subsequent year of study.

The student is responsible for providing appropriate documentation confirming their achievements.

EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID

Emergency Financial Aid is a form of one-time financial assistance for a student who has temporarily found themselves in a difficult life situation.

Circumstances that may justify Emergency Financial Aid include, in particular:

• death of a close person;
• an accident;
• serious illness of the student, a member of the student’s family or another close person;
• a natural disaster;
• birth of a child;
• another unforeseen event resulting in a temporary difficult life situation.

The above list is not exhaustive.

The student must attach documents confirming the circumstances giving rise to the application, such as medical documentation, certificates, court or police documents, invoices or receipts confirming expenses incurred as a result of the event, or other documents appropriate to the particular circumstances.

The application must be submitted within 90 days of the event. In exceptional circumstances, this period may be extended.

A student may receive Emergency Financial Aid no more than twice in an academic year.

As a general rule, Emergency Financial Aid cannot be awarded repeatedly for the same reason, unless otherwise decided in exceptional circumstances.

The maximum amount of Emergency Financial Aid in the 2026/2027 academic year is PLN 10,000.