Legal basis
- Ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce (Dziennik Ustaw z 2018 r., poz. 1668 z późn. zm.)
- Ustawa z dnia 3 lipca 2018 r. – Przepisy wprowadzające ustawę – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce (Dziennik Ustaw z 2018 r., poz. 1669)
- Rozporządzenie Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego z dnia 20 grudnia 2018 r. w sprawie kredytów studenckich (Dziennik Ustaw z 2018 r., poz. 2468)
Loan application
The loan may be applied for by candidates for the doctoral school who will commence their studies in October this year. The student loan may be granted for the whole period of study (4 years at the maximum) or for a shorter period – depending on the loan borrower’s preference.
A certification must be attached to the loan application issued by the Rector or another authorized person confirming that the applicant is a doctoral student at the doctoral school. The certification may be obtained from the doctoral school office following a prior notification specifying the need for such a form. Such document must also be submitted by individuals applying for admission to the doctoral school, immediately after having obtained the status of a doctoral student.
The loan application is to be submitted at the bank selected by the loan borrower from the list of banks which have entered into an agreement with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (National Economy Bank) specifying the rules of borrowing from the Student Loans Fund. Documents required for the purposes of assessing the borrower’s debt-carrying capacity and loan repayment collateral must also be submitted at the bank, as well as a declaration stating the current number of the doctoral student’s family members and declarations or certifications stating the income obtained in the previous calendar year. The primary condition for obtaining the loan is meeting the income requirement. The maximum income per family member enabling the student to obtain the loan in the academic year 2019/2020 was 2,500 PLN (net amount). The loan application may be submitted in the paper form, using the template provided by the bank, or in the electronic form, using the ICT system of the bank.
The monthly instalment of the student loan is 400, 600, 800 or 1000 PLN. However, the amount may be changed during the term of the contract, upon the motion of the doctoral student. The student loan is paid in the form of monthly instalments released for a period of up to 10 months in an academic year. The payment of the loan is stopped for the holiday months. The bank discontinues the payment of the loan instalments in the following situations: the borrower has been removed from the list of doctoral students, they have taken a study break pursuant to the General Regulations of the Cracow University of Technology Doctoral School, they have been suspended from the doctoral student’s rights, they have completed their education at the Doctoral School, or some important, previously concealed information affecting the award of the loan or its amount has been revealed.
Should any of the above situations occur, the loan borrower is obliged to notify the bank immediately.
The loan repayment is done in equal monthly payments, and it starts 2 years after the completion of studies unless the loan borrower applies for an earlier commencement or repayment. The number of instalments to be repaid equals the doubled number of the loan instalments paid to the borrower unless they apply for a reduced number of instalments.
The loan waive-off
Upon the borrower’s application, the loan may be waived off wholly or in part pursuant to the rules specified in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education on Student Loans.
For more information on student loan waive-off, go to:
For more information on student loans, go to:
