Grants and scholarshipsFunding a degree in Poland What you can really get
Which programmes actually exist, who can apply and where people most often go wrong.
- Main programme
- NAWA (Banach Programme)
Send your transcript or degree, your average grade and your language level. We'll tell you which programmes suit you and which don't.
Photo: Slawojar2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cost: who actually studies free
According to the government portal study.gov.pl, free full-time study on Polish-taught programmes at public institutions is available to Polish citizens, EU/EEA citizens, and holders of the Karta Polaka (Polish Charter). Everyone else pays — which matters, because the familiar "education in Europe is free" line does not apply to Poland for most people.
Official reference figures from the portal: around EUR 2,000 per year for bachelor's, master's and long-cycle programmes, and around EUR 3,000 per year for postgraduate programmes; preparatory Polish courses run at about EUR 2,000 per year. The stated national range is EUR 2,000–6,000.
Doctoral study deserves separate mention: full-time doctoral programmes are tuition-free, and all full-time doctoral candidates receive a scholarship. For anyone aiming at a research career, this is one of the strongest offers in the European Union.
The Karta Polaka is a real free route
If you have Polish ancestry and hold the Karta Polaka, you study Polish-taught programmes on the same terms as Polish citizens — that is, without tuition. For applicants from CIS countries with Polish heritage this is the most underrated path into European education, and we think it deserves to be said plainly.
Visa and practical notes
You apply for a national type D visa, and for stays beyond it, a temporary residence permit (karta pobytu).
One practical point that matters: since 1 April 2026 Poland no longer recognises non-biometric Russian passports — only a passport with a biometric chip is valid for entry and stay. Unlike some other EU states, students are among the categories Polish consulates do accept applications from.
The national scholarship agency is NAWA (National Agency for Academic Exchange), whose flagship inbound programme is named after Stefan Banach. No currently open application window was published when this page was prepared, so we quote no dates — check the NAWA site directly.
UNIPROFI and Poland
In Poland the most useful things we do are two: establish honestly whether you fall into a tuition-free category — Karta Polaka above all — and match an English-taught programme to your profile and budget.
Write to us and we will tell you where this direction stands and what can be done now.
How we help you win a scholarship
- 01
Your profile
We look at your grades, languages and goals, and tell you plainly which scholarships you qualify for.
- 02
Universities and scholarships
We pick up to five scholarships and universities with the best odds and put the deadlines in a calendar.
- 03
Documents and letters
Study plan, statement, recommendations, translations. We check every field of the form.
- 04
Applying and moving
We file the applications, follow the universities' replies and help with the visa and the move.
Applying to a university
We prepare and file the application for a place and a scholarship. The university's own fee is paid separately, on its invoice.
More on Poland
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