Everything you need to know about the social scholarship – academic year 2024/2025
Category: Social scholarship
Start, the most important basic information
On 2 September, the application for the social scholarship for the 2024/2025 academic year will start, the most important thing to remember about this benefit:
- A form of support for students who are in a difficult material situation, whose income per person in the family does not exceed 1570,50 PLN.
- The application is submitted 2 times a year – 1 time in the winter semester and 1 time in the summer semester – the scholarship can be received for no more than 5 months in the winter and summer semesters.
- The application must be submitted with a statement of income for 2023.
- Applications are submitted only through USOSweb – you do not need to print it or provide original documentation.
- From this academic year, to maintain your right to the scholarship for a given month, you only need to submit your application by the end of the month.
Example: if you apply on 31 October, you will have the opportunity to receive the scholarship with compensation from October, if you apply on 1 November, the scholarship can be charged from November.
The first date of submission of the application counts, even if it will still require corrections, so it is worth submitting even an incomplete application earlier.
In order to apply for a social scholarship you must submit:
- Income statement for the academic year 2024/2025 (base year 2023) and
- Application for benefit for winter/summer semester of academic year 2024/2025
The most important thing is the date of application, but without submitting an income statement, you can’t complete the application! Do not wait until your income statement is approved before submitting your application.
Remember to use your UW domain email when contacting our office (and more).
Payment dates for the 2024/2025 academic year will be published in September.
How do I check if I am entitled to a Social Scholarship?
The most common reason for rejection of a Social Scholarship is that the limit of semesters during which a person studies has been exceeded:
- in the case of first-cycle studies, it is not allowed to study longer than 9 semesters;
- in the case of second-cycle studies, it is not allowed to study longer than 7 semesters;
- in total, it is not allowed to study longer than 12 semesters.
Every semester started by the student counts towards this number, including studies and degrees obtained abroad – the application must indicate the exact start and end dates of studies undertaken outside the UW.
In addition, you cannot get benefits:
- in first-cycle studies, if the student already has a bachelor’s degree or higher;
- in second-cycle studies, if the student already has a master’s degree.
Who should be included in the family composition
As a rule, the composition of the family includes:
- the applicant;
- both parents of the applicant;
- the applicant’s spouse;
- the applicant’s children;
- siblings of the applicant – minors or students up to 26 years of age or with disabilities regardless of age.
The Applicant’s parents (one or both) are not included when:
- the parent is deceased;
- the parent is obliged by a court judgment to pay alimony;
- the parent is in prison;
- a parent is missing, as confirmed by the police.
When is parental income not required?
In some cases, he does not have to provide the income of other people from his family (you can settle your taxes yourself). This option is possible if:
- you are 26 years old,
or
- you are married,
or
- you have dependent children,
or
- you have reached the age of majority being in foster care,
or
- you have a permanent source of income, and your average monthly income in the previous tax year and in the current year in the months preceding the month of submitting the income declaration is higher than or equal to 1396 PLN.
From what period is the income taken into account?
The base year is 2023 and from this year we take into account income, based on a certificate from the tax office. Note, however, that the “as of today” situation is also taken into account, so if after 31 December 2023 up to the date of the statement there is, for example, a new income (e.g., a new job) or a loss of income from 2023 (e.g., loss of a job), this should be taken into account.
You can read more about the statement of income here: Everything you need to know about the income statement – academic year 2024/2025
What documents do you need?
2. Certificate from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) regarding the amount of health insurance contribution 3. Declaration of non-taxable income (available for download in USOSweb when completing the Income statement) 2. Certificate from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) regarding the amount of health insurance contribution 3. Declaration of non-taxable income (available for download in USOSweb when completing the Income statement) 2. Certificate from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) regarding the amount of health insurance contribution 3. Declaration of non-taxable income (available for download in USOSweb when completing the Income statement) 4. Certificate of learning (from school/university) and/or certificate of disability
Applicant
Applicant’s parents
Siblings of the applicant (adults)
Siblings of the applicant (underage)
Standard documents
1. Certificate from the Tax Office regarding income and the amount of social contribution
1. Certificate from the Tax Office regarding income and the amount of social contribution
1. Certificate from the Tax Office regarding income and the amount of social contribution
1. Certificate of learning (from school or university)
Additional documents
If one parent is not included: a sentence or a maintenance settlement or an action with confirmation of submission to the court, death certificate, complete birth certificate (in the case of an unknown father), a certificate from the Police (in the case of a missing parent).
Income lost
Contract or certificate of employment and tax declaration (PIT-11)
Income earned
Income certificate for the second month worked and contract
Certificates from the US and ZUS cannot be replaced by a PIT or other document.
NOTE!
The above table does not exhaust all situations and all documents that you may be asked for in the application process, these are only the most common cases. The complete list of documents is included in the Regulations (Annexes 1 and 2). However, do not worry if you forget about a document, because the coordinators always ask you to fill in the gaps. Of course, any lack of documents and the need to supplement may delay the issuance of a decision.
When family members own a farm
Then we need to present a certificate from the relevant municipality office about the size of the farm – in physical and converted hectares. Then, too, instead of documents from the Social Insurance Institution, we present the corresponding certificates from the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund.
According to the announcement of the Central Statistical Office (GUS), the income for 1 conversion hectare is 5549 PLN.
Why do we need the documents?
Probably some of you are asking yourself this question when filling out an application for a social grant. Documents are used to confirm the reported income. When wondering what documents are needed, think about what income you received in 2023 and 2024.
Can I apply for a social scholarship at an increased rate?
You only need to meet one of the following prerequisites to receive a social scholarship at an increased rate. The prerequisites and sample documents supporting the prerequisites are in the table below:
Premise
Proof document (one of those listed is sufficient)
student in the first year of a first degree program or a single master’s degree program has met the requirements for receiving the rector’s scholarship
student has received the Rector’s scholarship or the Minister’s scholarship for significant achievements in the academic year:
student is a dependent of a parent, legal guardian or de facto guardian regularly and currently receiving one or more of the following benefits: permanent allowance, special purpose allowance, temporary allowance, special purpose allowance, attendance allowance or child care benefit, or is himself regularly and currently receiving them.
student has reached the age of majority while in foster care, is not dependent on his parents, legal guardians or actual guardians, and is under 25 years of age
student is an orphan and is under 25 years of age
student’s daily travel from his permanent place of residence makes it difficult or impossible for him to study
It is worth remembering that the most common premise, the so-called commuting premise, can be used by people who commute to the university every day, from other towns and cities, as well as those who are forced to rent a room/apartment in Warsaw, due to permanent residence outside Warsaw.
Please think about what type of scholarship you want to apply for – unfortunately, it will not be possible, once the decision is issued, to change the social scholarship to a scholarship with an increased amount.
Social scholarship amount for the 2024/2025 academic year
Information on the amount of benefits for 2024/25 will be published in early October.
Is the income threshold that cannot be exceeded 1570,50 pln net or gross? Net – we reduce from the income contributions to health insurance, social security, taxes – hence it is important to show all the required documents. What if I am not sure if the statement is filled out correctly and there is no mistake? You should not worry about this, coordinators check each statement – they make corrections or ask you to correct if something turned out to be wrong. Do I have to wait for the statement to be approved to apply? No, coordinators verify statements only if the application is already submitted – so do not delay. If, after the decision, my income situation has changed, do I have to report it? There is no need to do so, the income situation, after the decision is issued, is not subject to verification and does not affect the right to the stipend, including in the case of a new, significant income. Unfortunately, we also do not have the ability to take into account the situation when, after the decision is issued, there is a sudden deterioration of the situation – then we ask you to consider applying for the Assistance grant.