School Scholarship in Poland 2026/2027: Amount, Income Limit
Short answer: The school scholarship is 99.20-248 zl a month for 1-10 months, for families with income up to 823 zl net per person. Apply by 15 September; it refunds school costs.
Polish municipalities pay a school scholarship, stypendium szkolne, to pupils from low-income families. It is not a prize for grades. It is social help that is paid back to the family as a refund of school costs. This guide explains the amount, the income limit, the deadline, what you can claim and the related one-off school allowance. It uses the Ministry of Education page and the 2026/2027 notice of a municipal social assistance centre (OPS Nowe Piekuty) published on gov.pl. Details differ by municipality, so treat the local rules as the final word.
How much is the school scholarship?
The Ministry of Education says the scholarship paid to a pupil is between 99.20 zł and 248.00 zł per month and may be paid for one to ten months in a school year. The municipality runs the scheme as its own task and receives a subsidy from the state budget.
Income limit
The ministry page gives the qualifying income as 823 zł net per person in the family from 1 January 2025 (it was 600 zł before). The 2026/2027 notice of the Nowe Piekuty centre uses the same figure, 823.00 zł, tied to art. 8 ust. 1 pkt 2 of the social assistance act.
According to that local notice:
- the income of all family members living in the same household is counted, from the month before you apply (for 2026/2027, August 2026), or from the month of application if income was lost;
- income includes pay, pensions, unemployment benefit, family benefits with supplements, alimony and business income;
- the Dobry Start payment, the 800+ child benefit, targeted allowances and other school social aid are not counted;
- the family's income is reduced by income tax, health and social insurance contributions, and alimony paid to others.
The ministry law summary adds that a pupil can get the scholarship when low income is accompanied by circumstances such as unemployment, disability, serious illness, a large family, a single-parent family or a random event.
Who can get it
The local notice says pupils of public and non-public schools, certain art schools and social service colleges are eligible, until they finish education and no longer than until age 24. The scholarship is granted to pupils living in that municipality. Neither page discusses citizenship, so a foreign family should ask its municipal office whether residence status affects the claim.
Deadline and where to apply
The ministry says applications for the scholarship must be filed by 15 September of the school year, and that in justified cases an application can be filed after that date. For 2026/2027 the Nowe Piekuty centre took applications from 1 to 15 September 2026, describing the date as the statutory deadline. As of 16 October 2026 the standard window for this school year has passed, so a family that missed it should ask the municipal office whether a late application is possible and what justifies it.
You apply to your own municipality, in the form its regulation sets. The local notice lists the documents it required:
- proof of the net income of every household member for the month before the application;
- a school certificate that the pupil meets the schooling obligation or is studying;
- a bank account number.
How it is paid: refunds, not cash
The Ministry of Education says the scholarship can cover the costs of educational activities beyond the school curriculum, or educational help in kind such as textbooks. The local notice says it is awarded as a refund of costs already paid, so you need itemised receipts and invoices made out to the applicant.
The Nowe Piekuty centre's catalogue of eligible expenses is a useful example of what a town may accept. It includes textbooks and reading books, school supplies and a backpack, a school uniform, sports clothes and shoes, home internet for September to June, classes outside school such as sports, music, dance or language clubs, school trips, and computer equipment and repairs. The notice adds that the list is not closed. Other municipalities have their own lists.
School allowance
The ministry describes a separate help, zasiłek szkolny, for pupils who are temporarily in a difficult material situation because of a random event, for example the death of a parent, or whose situation worsened for other reasons. It can be money or help in kind, can be granted once or several times a year regardless of the scholarship, and a single payment cannot exceed five times the family allowance for a child aged 5 to 18.
Tips for expat families
- Ask the municipal office for its rules (regulamin pomocy materialnej), because the council sets the method, forms and procedure.
- Keep every receipt in the applicant's name.
- Check the date you must apply next summer. The standard period ends on 15 September.
The facts above are as of 16 October 2026, from a ministry page and a 2026/2027 local notice. Amounts and limits are updated by law, so confirm with your municipality.
* Photos: Stationery (CC0) and school supplies (CC0), both Wikimedia Commons, illustrative.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the school scholarship in Poland?
Between 99.20 zł and 248.00 zł a month, for one to ten months a year, according to the Ministry of Education.
What is the income limit?
823 zł net per person in the family, according to the ministry page and the 2026/2027 local notice.
When do I apply?
By 15 September of the school year, with late applications possible in justified cases, according to the ministry.
