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Social Security Scholarship

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Social Security Scholarship

Career and Student Affairs Office

The rules governing the award of a social scholarship are set out in:

  1. the Act of July 20, 2018, on Higher Education and Science;
  2. the Regulations on Student Benefits at WSEI Academy in Lublin;
  3. Appendix No. 1 to the Regulations on Student Benefits at WSEI Academy in Lublin: Detailed Rules for Determining the Income Threshold for Eligibility to Apply for a Social Scholarship.

 

If you are a student experiencing financial hardship, you may be eligible to receive a social scholarship. The monthly income threshold entitling a student to apply for this scholarship in the 2026/2027 academic year is PLN 2,099.70 net per person in the family.

Eligibility of Foreign Nationals

A foreign national (i.e. a student who does not hold Polish citizenship) may apply for a social scholarship only if they meet at least one of the conditions specified in § 12 of the Regulations on Student Benefits at WSEI Academy in Lublin:

  1. They are a citizen of a Member State of the European Union, the Swiss Confederation, or a Member State of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) that is a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, or a family member of such a person residing in the territory of the Republic of Poland; or they are a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland referred to in Article 10(1)(b) or (d) of the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ EU L 29 of January 31, 2020, p. 7, as amended), or a family member of such a person residing in the territory of the Republic of Poland, provided that they:
    1. are self-employed or employed persons as referred to in Article 2(5) and (7) of the Act of July 14, 2006, on the Entry into, Stay in, and Departure from the Territory of the Republic of Poland of Citizens of European Union Member States and Their Family Members (Journal of Laws of 2026, item 1065, as amended);
    2. retain the right of residence in the cases referred to in Article 17 of the Act referred to in subparagraph (a);
    3. hold the right of permanent residence;

— and their family members reside in the territory of the Republic of Poland.

  1. They have been granted a permanent residence permit or the status of a long-term resident of the European Union.
  2. They have been granted a temporary residence permit in connection with the circumstances referred to in Article 127, Article 137a, Article 159(1), or Article 186(1)(3) or (4) of the Act of December 12, 2013, on Foreigners (Journal of Laws of 2025, item 1079).
  3. They have been granted refugee status in the Republic of Poland or are receiving temporary protection or subsidiary protection in the territory of the Republic of Poland.
  4. They hold a certificate confirming proficiency in Polish as a foreign language, as referred to in Article 11a(2) of the Act of October 7, 1999, on the Polish Language (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1556), at least at the C1 level.
  5. They hold a Pole’s Card or have been issued a decision confirming their Polish descent.
  6. They are a spouse, ascendant, or descendant of a citizen of the Republic of Poland and reside in the territory of the Republic of Poland.
  7. They have been granted a temporary residence permit in connection with the circumstances referred to in Article 151(1) or Article 151b(1) of the Act of December 12, 2013, on Foreigners; they are staying in the territory of the Republic of Poland in connection with short-term researcher mobility under the conditions specified in Article 156b(1) of that Act; or they hold a national visa for the purpose of conducting scientific research or development work.

Family Members Included in the Calculation

For the purposes of determining eligibility for a social scholarship, the student’s family includes:

  1. the student;
  2. the student’s spouse;
  3. the student’s parents, subject to § 15, or the student’s legal or de facto guardians;
  4. minor children who are dependents of the persons referred to in subparagraphs 1–3, children pursuing education up to the age of 26, and, if their 26th birthday falls during the final year of their studies, until the completion of those studies, as well as children with disabilities, regardless of age.

When Parents’ Income Does Not Have to Be Documented

A student may submit an application without documenting the income of either parent only if they meet at least one of the following conditions:

  1. they have reached the age of 26;
  2. they are married;
  3. they have dependent children as referred to in § 15(1)(4) of the Regulations;
  4. they reached the age of majority while in foster care;
  5. they have a regular source of income, and their average monthly income in the previous tax year and in the current year, during the months preceding the month in which the declaration referred to in paragraph 3 was submitted, is greater than or equal to 40% of the minimum wage applicable as of January 1 of the year preceding the academic year for which the social scholarship is awarded, pursuant to the Act of October 10, 2002, on the Minimum Wage, i.e. PLN 1,866.40.

Social Assistance Certificate

If the monthly income per person in your family does not exceed PLN 823.00, you are required to submit a certificate confirming that you received social assistance benefits in the year in which you submit your scholarship application. The certificate must be issued by a social assistance center or a social services center.

If you do not submit such a certificate, the Rector, the Scholarship Committee, or the Scholarship Appeals Committee is required to refuse to award the social scholarship.

Increased Social Scholarship

Full-time students experiencing financial hardship who are eligible for a social scholarship may receive the scholarship in an increased amount if daily commuting from their permanent place of residence to the university would prevent or significantly hinder their studies and, as a result, they have moved to the town in which the university is located.

To receive the social scholarship in an increased amount, however, the student must meet the eligibility criteria for the social scholarship. The increased social scholarship does not constitute a separate type of scholarship.

Determining Family Income

When determining a student’s family income, it should be noted, among other things, that income per person in the student’s family, for the purposes of awarding a social scholarship, is determined on the basis of the sources of income specified in the Act of November 28, 2003, on Family Benefits.

Furthermore, Article 88(1)(1) of the Act on Higher Education and Science provides an exhaustive list of persons whose income is taken into account when awarding a social scholarship.

However, a student and their family members may have financial resources derived from sources outside the catalogue specified in the applicable regulations, such as child-rearing benefits, family benefits, savings held in bank accounts, donations received, or a student loan.

It should also be noted that a social scholarship awarded by a higher education institution constitutes family income within the meaning of the Social Assistance Act. Consequently, receiving this form of financial support may limit a student’s ability to apply for social assistance benefits.

Circumstances in Which a Student Is Not Eligible for a Social Scholarship

You are not eligible to receive a social scholarship if, among other things:

  1. Your income exceeds the income threshold entitling you to apply for a social scholarship, i.e. PLN 2,099.70 per person in the family.
  2. You hold a degree:
    1. Master’s, Master of Engineering, or an equivalent degree;
    2. Bachelor’s, Engineer’s, or an equivalent degree, if you are re-enrolling in a first-cycle degree programme.
  1. You have studied for more than 12 semesters, regardless of whether you previously received scholarships and/or financial aid, subject to the provision that, within the 12-semester period, benefits are available for:
    1. first-cycle studies – for no longer than 9 semesters;
    2. second-cycle studies – for no longer than 7 semesters.

The total period referred to above is extended by 2 semesters if the student has undertaken a long-cycle master’s degree programme whose duration, as specified by law, is 11 or 12 semesters.

The period referred to above includes all semesters commenced by the student during their studies, including semesters falling within periods of leave from classes, with the exception of semesters in subsequent first-cycle degree programmes commenced or continued after obtaining the first professional degree of Bachelor’s, Engineer’s, or an equivalent degree.

If a student is enrolled in several degree programmes, semesters undertaken simultaneously are counted as one semester.

  1. You are no longer a student, for example because you have been removed from the student register, have obtained a professional degree or defended your diploma thesis, or have failed to complete the formalities required for admission to the programme.
  2. You are on a leave of absence from classes, commonly referred to as “dean’s leave.”

Students Not Eligible for Student Benefits

The right to receive student benefits does not apply to students who are:

  • professional soldiers who have undertaken studies based on a referral from the competent military authority and have received financial assistance in connection with their studies pursuant to the provisions governing military service;
  • soldiers called up for voluntary basic military service, as referred to in Article 95(4)(1) of the Act of March 11, 2022, on the Defense of the Homeland, or professional soldiers performing military service at a military academy where they are enrolled;
  • officers of state services serving in candidate service, or officers of state services who have undertaken studies based on a referral from or with the consent of their competent superior and have received financial assistance in connection with their studies pursuant to the provisions governing the relevant service.