Student scholarships

In this article, we present several scholarship programmes dedicated to foreigners wishing to study in Poland. If you are considering becoming part of the Polish academic community, but lack the material and financial support for scientific tour – familiarise yourself with the existing initiatives!

Poland My First Choice Programme

The Poland My First Choice scholarship programme aims to encourage young talented people from numerous countries to pursue studies at the best Polish HEIs.

The Programme offers an opportunity to pursue full-time second-cycle studies at public and private HEIs on all fields of study offered by institutions offering education at the highest level – i.e. those classified to the A and A+ category under the latest parametric evaluation – subordinate to the Minister of Science and Higher Education, with a monthly NAWA scholarship amounting to PLN 2,000 (ca. EUR 460) to cover the living allowance during the period of education in Poland specified in the Regulations.

In the case of public HEIs, the Programme also offers an exemption from education fees. The Programme provides the participants with an opportunity to study in Polish or in another language.

The Applicants select HEIs and fields of study in which they want to enroll based on the educational offer of Polish higher education institutions and apply for the curriculum of their choice. Final decisions regarding admissions of Applicants and financial conditions of education shall be made by HEIs.

Source of information: nawa.gov.pl/en/students/foreign-students/poland-my-first-choice-programme

The Banach Scholarship Programme

The objective of the Programme is to promote socio-economic progress of developing countries by raising the level of knowledge and education of their citizens in the form of scholarships for second-degree studies in Polish or in English at Polish universities supervised by the Minister of Education and Science in the field of engineering and technical sciences, agricultural sciences, exact sciences, and life sciences.

The NAWA scholarship may be applied for by citizens of the following countries: Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Palestine, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

In addition, the citizens of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan can complete second-degree studies in the fields of humanities and social sciences under the Programme, with the exception of philological studies in the field of the beneficiary’s native language.

The Programme is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange in the form of Polish development aid.

Source: nawa.gov.pl/en/students/foreign-students/the-banach-scholarship-programme

Scholarship for Eastern Studies

The Centre for East European Studies invites candidates from the former Soviet Union and post-communist countries to take part in a competition for 25 scholarships to enter the 2-year Master’s Program in Specialist Eastern Studies at the University of Warsaw.

The state-funded East European Studies Scholarships were established with the intention not only to create a group of well-trained experts on Eastern affairs at home, but also to provide educational opportunities for young specialists from other, especially neighbouring countries.

For more information about the program – see the “About Eastern Studies” section: english.studium.uw.edu.pl/scholarship-programs/scholarship-for-eastern-studies

The gen. Anders Programme

Scholarships for the Polish diaspora are addressed to foreigners of Polish origin. They enable young people of Polish origin and holders of the Card of the Pole (Karta Polaka) to study in Poland  (full-time programmes, in the Polish language) in higher education institutions supervised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Candidates are selected on the basis of the calls for proposals announced on annual basis.

Source: nawa.gov.pl/en/students/foreign-students/the-gen-anders-programme

Solidarity with Belarus

As part of the governmental initiative “Solidarity with Belarus”, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (hereinafter “Agency”), supports Belarusian students and researchers with different kinds of scholarships.

In 2021, an action dedicated to the students is implemented: nawa.gov.pl/solidarni-z-bialorusia/edycja-2021/informacje-dla-studentow

Its objective is to enable young people from Belarus to study at Polish universities by offering a scholarship for the academic year 2021/2022. The action is an expression of solidarity with the Belarusian academic community and, in addition to the academical objectives, seeks to secure education for young people at risk of repression.

More: nawa.gov.pl/solidarni-z-bialorusia

The government-sponsored Konstanty Kalinowski Scholarship Programme III – Solidarity with Belarus

A scholarship for Belarusian students and researchers for studies in universities throughout Poland.

Participants in KK – III may only be Belarusian citizens as for whom, for political reasons, one of the following circumstances occurred after 9 August 2020 as a result of the actions of the Belarusian authorities:

• have been detained, arrested, beaten, tortured;
• have been dismissed;
• were subjected to economic or psychological pressure preventing them from continuing their education or work in Belarus.

Knowledge of the Polish language is not a condition for obtaining a scholarship. The scholarship programme provides for the assignment, prior to the beginning of the studies, to the one-year course of the Polish language for all the persons granted with the scholarship (except for persons who have language proficiency confirmed by a relevant certificate). The scholarship during the course amounts to PLN 1,250.

After completion of the Polish language course or language proficiency confirmation, the candidates will have to be recruited at a university of their choice.

Source: english.studium.uw.edu.pl

Stanisław Grabski Scholarship Programme

For 12 years, the Wileńszczyzna Foundation has been supporting students of Polish origin who have decided to study in Poland and who are citizens of the former USSR countries.

Over 1,000 scholarships have already been awarded during this period. Through the funding, students can not only complete their studies, but also participate in dozens of conferences, workshops, courses and traineeships in the field of economics.

The initiative is aimed at people of Polish origin being citizens of the former USSR countries, continuing their studies in economy at one of the Polish universities.

The project is implemented in partnership with the National Bank of Poland as part of economic education.

Find out more: www.stypendium.eu

POLONISTA – scholarship and fellowship programme

The program is addressed to students of Polish philology, Polish studies or Polish programs implemented among others as part of Slavic studies (in the field of Polish language, Polish culture and knowledge about Poland) as well as to scientists from foreign universities and scientific institutions.

During the stay at a Polish university, NAWA Scholarship Holders may develop their interest in Polish matters by participating in lectures and classes in accordance with the program of selected studies, conducting research, carrying out scientific projects, collecting materials for their thesis or scientific work, improving the command of Polish language as well as using resources of libraries, universities and archives.

Official website: nawa.gov.pl/en/the-polish-language/programme-for-students-of-polish-studies

Świętokrzyskie Voivodship Scholarship Programme for Young Poles from Eastern Countries

For several years the local government for the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship has been annually awarding young Poles from the Eastern countries with scholarships as part of the programme “Principles of granting material aid in the form of scholarships for Poles and people of Polish origin from the East”.

The scholarship is intended to support students in their intention to undertake, continue or complete bachelor or full-time studies in universities in the Świętorzyskie Voivodship.

Ordinance

More information: www.swietokrzyskie.pro/program-stypendialny-dla-mlodych-polakow-ze-wschodu

Scholarship for Compatriot [Stypendium dla Rodaka]

This is a scholarship programme of the Fundacja dla Rodaka organisation, aimed to support students of Polish origin from Kazakhstan, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. Scholarships for studies in Poland are provided with the support of the ORLEN Foundation.

Find out more: www.fundacjadlarodaka.pl/stypendia-dla-rodaka

Scholarships of the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport for foreigners of Polish origin

On the terms and conditions specified by the Minister, foreign citizens of Polish origin or nationality, may study in art schools at programmes in Polish, on the terms and conditions specified by the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport.

The scholarship of the Minister shall be paid for a maximum period of 10 months in a particular academic year, unless the international agreement, the programme implementing the agreement or the decision of the Minister provide otherwise.

Official website: www.gov.pl/web/kultura/stypendia-dla-cudzoziemcow

Ad Polonos Student Fund

The Ad Polonos Scholarship Fund was set up on the initiative of Prof. Urszula Marta Doleżal, PhD and operates by funds she donated to the Jagiellonian University for this purpose, as she wishes to support descendants of Polish deportees, who study at the Jagiellonian University.

For a scholarship from the Fund may apply students who have a valid Pole’s Card or who have been the subject of a decision declaring their Polish origin and who are citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Russia or Ukraine.

Source: stypendia.uj.edu.pl/wlasne-fundusze/ad-polonos

BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program

The Scholarship and Educational Support Program is organized by the Alliance for Black Justice in Poland. The aim of the program is to support citizens of African countries who wish to pursue their education goals and ambitions in a higher education institution based in Poland.

The BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program offers:

• partial funding to cover tuition fees based on documented need of individual applicants,
• non-financial support that aims to strengthen general academic learning skills, create opportunities to develop subject-specific knowledge, and facilitate connections and networking within a community of Black, African and Afro-descendant scholars and professionals in Poland.

Source: newvisions.me/bjp-scholarship-program

Do you know more programs for foreigners in Poland? Or, perhaps, you seek other articles and guides..?

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