Everything you need to know about applying for the Rector’s scholarship – academic year 2025/2026

Category: 2025/2026, Rector’s scholarship

This entry is regularly updated – the latest updates are listed at the bottom of the page.
Most recent update: 22.09.2025

Starting from 1 October, applications for the Rector’s Scholarship for the 2025/2026 academic year can be submitted!

The percentage of eligible candidates and the amount of the Rector’s Scholarship will be announced between November and December. 

Starting your studies and wondering about the Rector’s Scholarship?

The Rector’s Scholarship is awarded to students admitted to the first year of a first- or long-cycle studies in the year of taking the secondary school leaving exam [matura], provided they meet one of the following criteria: 

👉 they are laureates of an international olympiad or laureates/finalists of a national-level olympiad (in accordance with the education system regulations),
👉 they are medalists in sporting competitions holding the title of Polish Champion in a given sport (in accordance with the sports regulations).

Every student who meets these criteria and submits an application within the deadline shall be awarded the Rector’s Scholarship. In this case, the limitation on the number of scholarships, based on the percentage of eligible students established by the Rector, shall not apply. 

When can the Rector’s Scholarship not be awarded?

First-year students of first- or long-cycle studies shall not be eligible for the Rector’s Scholarship if they:

• did not take the secondary school leaving exam [pl. matura] in the year of admission to the first year of the studies for which they are applying for the scholarship; 
• DO NOT hold the title of:
  • laureate of an international olympiad, or 
  • laureate of a national-level olympiad referred to in the education system regulations, or
  • finalist of a national-level olympiad referred to in the education system regulations;
• ARE NOT medalists of at least a national sporting competition with the title of Polish Champion in a given sport, as referred to in the sports regulations.

Upper-year students shall not be eligible for the Rector’s Scholarship if they:

• hold a Master’s degree or an equivalent one (regardless of when or where it was obtained);
  ● are applying for the scholarship for first-cycle studies after having completed another first-cycle studies earlier;
  ● have been studying for more than 12 semesters – applies to scholarship applications for any year of any field of studies;
  ● have been studying for more than 9 semesters in first-cycle studies – applies to scholarship applications for first-cycle studies;
  ● have been studying for more than 7 semesters in second-cycle studies – applies to scholarship applications for second-cycle studies;
  ● did not enrol for the next academic year in 2025/2026 in the case of:
   ○ repeating a year;
   ○ returning from leave;
   ○ resuming studies after being removed from the student list due to failure to obtain all credits for the year;
   ○ extending studies in order to defend a thesis;
  ● did not begin the second-cycle studies on which they are applying for the Rector’s Scholarship within 12 months of completing their first-cycle studies – applies to first-year applications for second-cycle studies.

When can I submit my application?

Where and how can I submit my application?

Average Grade. See how your average grade translates into points.

If you are applying for the Rector’s Scholarship, you can calculate your points based on your average grade using the following formula:

You can also obtain your calculated average grade at the secretary’s office of your teaching unit.

⚠️When calculating the average grade for the third year of your first-cycle studies, the grade for the thesis and its defence shall not be included.
⚠️A grade of 5! shall be counted as 5 in the average grade calculation.
⚠️If the average grade appears in your application before it has been verified by the coordinator, and you disagree with it or have doubts, please wait for the coordinator’s verification. You will then receive a comment explaining how to submit any objections or remarks regarding your average grade and any achievements attached to the application. 

Do you have academic, sporting, or artistic achievements? See how many points you can earn for them.

Detailed information on points for additional achievements (Criteria II–IV) can be found in Appendix no. 3 of the Rules and Regulations of Students’ Benefits at the University of Warsaw. The document is available at the following link: ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 18 OF THE RECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW. 

§6 – 10 of Appendix 3 provide all information regarding the scoring of additional achievements, including detailed criteria and requirements. 

Assessment Criteria

Guide for the Upcoming Period

We understand that starting a new academic year can be stressful and raise many questions. For this reason, we aim to simplify the application process for the Rector’s Scholarship and regularly update our website with helpful guidance. 

Stay calm and remember that during the verification stage of your application, we will contact you with information on how to submit any objections regarding your average grade or achievement scores. To help us work efficiently, please wait until we reach out to you. Contacting us beforehand will not speed up the verification process. 

Keep a balanced view of the rankings. Remember that they are only a reference and do not include points for additional achievements beyond your average grade, so they may not fully reflect the actual situation.

Q: Does this mean that the USOSweb ranking does not show my actual chances of receiving the scholarship?

A: The USOSweb rankings take into account only the average grade. They do not consider all of the relevant factors, such as additional academic, sports or artistic achievements. Therefore, while the rankings can be useful, they do not provide a complete picture of a student’s situation.