Student loans

The loan application is submitted in the period from July 15 to October 20, 2018. in one of the following banks:

• PKO Bank Polski SA,
• Bank PEKAO SA,
• Bank Polskiej Spółdzielczości SA (together with associated cooperative banks),
• SGB-Bank SA (together with associated cooperative banks).

The application shall be accompanied by a certificate from the university or research unit conducting doctoral studies on studies (in the case of a student or doctoral student) or a document confirming participation in recruitment for studies or doctoral studies (in the case of a person applying for admission to studies or doctoral studies).

The bank must also present the documents required for the surety of the loan, as well as a statement on the current number of family members and a statement or certificate of income obtained from the previous year.

The loan application form and templates of declarations on the income of family members will be available at the above-mentioned branches. banks.

In the 2018/2019 academic year, the monthly student loan installment is:

• PLN 600 – basic installment,
• PLN 800 or PLN 1000 – increased installment,
• PLN 400 – reduced installment.

The requested loan amount should be indicated in the loan application.

The basic condition for concluding a loan agreement is meeting the income criterion. In the 2018/2019 academic year, the maximum income per person in a family entitling to receive a loan was set at PLN 2,500 (net amount).

Credit agreements may be concluded until December 31, 2018. Before the bank signs a loan agreement with a student or doctoral student, it must assess the loan repayment security for the selected loan installment (400, 600, 800 or 1000 PLN). In the period from the date of submission of the application by November 20, 2018 at the latest. the bank will assess the collateral for the loan repayment for the indicated installment and, in the event of a positive assessment, will propose signing the loan agreement. Only if the assessment for the requested amount is negative, the bank will assess the lower installments. An applicant who does not meet the condition of adequate security for each of the possible installments will be able to submit an application in another of the above banks by November 30, 2018.

If it is not possible to meet the banks’ requirements regarding loan repayment security, when applying for a loan, the student may apply for a guarantee from Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego and for a guarantee from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture.

In the 2018/2019 academic year, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego may guarantee a loan in the amount of:

• 100% of the loan amount used (without interest and other costs related to the granted loan) for students who were completely deprived of parental care or partially or completely deprived of parental care, were placed in a foster family, family care and educational institution, socialization or rehabilitation, with excluding social rehabilitation centers operating in the form of a round-the-clock or periodic stay – regardless of income, but not exceeding the amount of income announced by the minister responsible for higher education, entitling to receive a loan in a given academic year,
• 100% of the loan amount used (without interest and other costs related to the loan granted) for students whose income per person in the family does not exceed PLN 1,500,
• 90% of the loan amount used (without interest and other costs related to the loan granted) for students whose income per person in the family does not exceed PLN 2,000.

Detailed information on the above-mentioned sureties are granted by all lending banks.

Students residing in a rural area may apply for a guarantee from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture. The agency may guarantee up to 80% or up to 100% of the loan amount used, depending on the amount of income per person in the student’s family. The Agency’s guarantee in the amount of 100% may be obtained by students whose income per person in the family, determined in accordance with the rules set out in the provisions on student loans and credits, does not exceed PLN 1,000. You can apply for the Agency’s sureties at Bank Polskiej Spółdzielczości SA and at SGB-Bank SA

A student loan is granted for the period of studies and is paid out for a maximum of 6 years, and in the case of doctoral studies – for a maximum of 4 years. The loan tranches are disbursed for 10 months in the academic year. The condition for receiving a loan is to have the status of a student or doctoral student confirmed by a valid student or doctoral ID.

During the term of the contract, the borrower may submit an application to the bank to change the amount of the monthly loan installment.

Until graduation, the student borrower is required to present a valid student ID to the bank by October 31 and March 31, and, if he is abroad, a certificate of study. The borrower who is a doctoral student presents a valid doctoral student ID once a year – by October 31.

The borrower must also notify the bank of any event causing the extension of the period for which the loan was granted, e.g. failure to complete a semester or year of studies, granted leave, or suspension of student or doctoral student rights. In this case, the borrower has the right to submit an application for the extension of the loan period to the bank. After signing the annex to the contract, the date of commencement of repayment may then change.

The bank should also be notified of the loss of the status of a student or doctoral student (removal from the list of students or doctoral students), as well as of completion of studies, i.e. passing the diploma examination (confirmed by a diploma) or – in the case of doctoral students – obtaining a doctoral degree (also confirmed by a diploma).

The loan repayment begins after two years from the date of graduation or the date on which, according to the last submitted certificate of study, the borrower should graduate – whichever is the earlier. The number of loan repayment installments is twice the number of loan installments paid.

During the loan collection period and during the grace period, the interest on the loan is repaid in full by the state budget.

During the loan repayment period, interest repaid by the borrower is charged in the amount of half of the rediscount rate for the bills of exchange of the National Bank of Poland. This rate is now 1.75% (July 2018). The remaining part of the interest is covered by the state budget.

In the event of temporary difficulties in loan repayment, the bank – at the borrower’s request – may reduce the amount of the loan repayment installment to 20% of the borrower’s average monthly income for the last three months for a period of six months.

In the event of a difficult life situation or loss of a stable source of income, the borrower may apply to the bank for suspension of loan repayment with interest for a maximum period of 12 months.

At the borrower’s request, the loan is canceled by the bank:

• 50% – if the borrower has completed higher education or doctoral studies in the 1% group,
• in 35% – if the borrower has completed higher education or doctoral studies in the group from 1.01% to 5%,
• in 20% – if the borrower has completed higher education or doctoral studies in the group from 5.01% to 10%

– the best graduates of first-cycle studies or second-cycle studies, uniform master’s studies or doctoral studies in a given academic year.

An application in this matter should be submitted to the appropriate bank along with a certificate of the university rector or the director of a scientific unit, confirming the borrower’s presence in a specific group of the best graduates of studies (example certificate below) . The amount of the loan outstanding during the first-cycle, second-cycle, long-cycle or doctoral studies is subject to redemption.

Above the redemption thresholds apply to borrowers who completed higher education or doctoral studies in the 2016/2017 academic year and beyond. In the case of applications for borrowers who completed higher education or doctoral studies in the 2015/2016 academic year or earlier, the redemption will be available to borrowers who were in the group of 5% of the best university graduates – 20%.

The loan may also be partially or fully redeemed due to a difficult life situation or permanent loss of the ability to pay liabilities. Redemptions are made by the minister competent for higher education at the borrower’s request.

Information from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education:
https://www.nauka.gov.pl/kredyty-studenckie/informacja-o-kredytach-studenckich-w-roku-akademickim-2018-2019.html