Social allowance
A social allowance is granted to a student in a difficult financial situation whose per capita family income is not higher than the amount established by the Rector. The income threshold entitling to receive a social allowance and the amount of the benefit is determined by the Rector in consultation with the Student Government at the end of October (for the winter semester of a given academic year) and in March (for the summer semester). In the summer semester of the academic year 2018/2019, the amount was PLN 1,000.
A student’s financial situation is determined on the basis of a monthly income per each member of a student’s family. The monthly amount of income per capita in the family of a student applying for social allowance is determined in accordance with the Act of 28th November 2003 on Family Benefits [Ustawa z dnia 28 listopada 2003 r. o świadczeniach rodzinnych].
If the monthly income per person in a family does not exceed PLN 528.00 (the amount set in the social welfare system), a social welfare certificate from the social welfare centre stating income and financial situation of the student and his/her family must be appended to the application for allowance.
In justified cases, a student may receive a higher amount of social allowance. Such allowance is granted in particular to a student who is a full orphan or has reached the age of majority in foster custody.
Social allowance is granted upon the student’s application. The application for social allowance – in paper form, together with required documentation – should be submitted to the Dean’s Office by the 10th day of a month.
If the application is submitted by the 10th day of a given month, the allowance is paid out for the month in which the application was submitted, and if the application is submitted after that date – the allowance is paid out in the following month without any compensation for the previous month.
The allowance is awarded by the Dean or Vice-Dean under the authority of the Rector.
According to the Act – Law on Higher Education and Science, when determining the amount of income entitling the student to apply for a social allowance, the following factors are taken into account:
- income earned by the student,
- income earned by the spouse of the student,
- income earned by parents, legal or factual guardians of the student,
- underage children, children in education up to 26 (or if the student reaches 26 in the last year of his/her studies – until the end of the studies), and disabled children regardless of age, who are dependent on the aforementioned persons.
A student who does not run a joint household with any of his/her parents, or legal or factual guardians, may apply for a social allowance without the need to show the income earned by these persons and children dependent on them, if he/she meets one of the following criteria:
- has reached the age of 26;
- is married;
- has dependent children;
- has reached the age of majority while in foster custody;
- has a permanent source of income and his/her average monthly income in the previous tax year and in the current year is higher than or equals 1.15 of the sum of the amounts specified in Article 5, section 1 and Article 6, section 2, subsection 3 of the Act of 28th November 2003 on Family Benefits [Ustawa z dnia 28 listopada 2003 r. o świadczeniach rodzinnych].
A student submits a statement that he/ she does not run a joint household with any of his/ her parents, or legal or factual guardians.
Running a joint household means being partly or fully dependent on the person with whom the household is run. The circumstances of running a joint household also include such elements as, for example, incurring costs, paying fees for a flat, providing care in illness, performing ordinary activities related to running a household or disposing of a joint income to meet living needs.
The fact that a student lives independently outside his/ her family home does not mean that he/ she does not run a joint household with any of his/ her parents, or legal or factual guardians.
When determining the amount of monthly income per capita in the family of a student applying for a social allowance, the following are not classified as the elements of the income:
- benefits received pursuant to the provisions of the Act – Law on Higher Education and Science (e.g., social allowance, rector’s scholarship, minister’s scholarship);
- scholarships granted to pupils, students and doctoral students within the framework of:
- Structural Funds of the European Union,
- non-recoverable funds granted as aid by Member States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA),
- international agreements or implementation programmes prepared in relation to the said agreements or international scholarship programmes (e.g. Erasmus+ grant);
- financial benefits for students – received on the basis of regulations concerning the education system (e.g., school scholarship);
- social allowances awarded by other entities referred to in Article 21, section 1, subsection 40b of the Act of 26th July 1991 on personal income tax [Ustawa z dnia 26 lipca 1991 r. o podatku dochodowym od osób fizycznych] (e.g., scholarships awarded by the “Dzieło Nowego Tysiąclecia” Foundation);
- family benefits with supplements, social welfare benefits, benefits within the Family 500+ programme;
- direct payments for farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union.
Each student applying for a social allowance is obliged to submit:
- certificates from the Tax Office – of the student and the student’s family members stating income subject to personal income tax according to Articles 27, 30b, 30c, 30e and 30f of the Act of 26th July 1991 on personal income tax;
- certificates from the Tax Office – of the members of the student’s family who pay flat-rate tax under the tax regulations concerning certain income earned by natural persons, which present the income earned in the calendar year preceding the academic year;
- statements of the student and the student’s family members on the income not subject to personal income tax earned in the calendar year preceding the academic year;
- the student and the student’s family members’ certificates presenting the amount of health insurance contributions paid in the calendar year preceding the academic year.
A social allowance is not granted to a student who holds a Master’s degree, also when it was awarded abroad. The allowance is not granted if the student holds a Bachelor’s degree and starts the 1st cycle studies once again.
An allowance is awarded on the 1st cycle, 2nd cycle and long-cycle programmes, but no longer than for a period of six years.
A student who is enrolled in more than one programme, can apply for a social allowance in only one programme of his/her choice.