Student Loan in Poland (BGK Kredyt Studencki)

Non-EU students can apply if they hold one of the qualifying statuses: a Karta Polaka (Pole's Card), permanent residence in Poland (karta stałego pobytu), long-term EU resident status, refugee status, or subsidiary protection. Ukrainian students who received temporary protection in Poland can apply if their status falls within one of these categories. The Karta Polaka route is particularly important for students from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and other former Soviet states who have Polish ethnic heritage and have obtained the card. Without one of these qualifying statuses, non-EU students cannot access the BGK loan scheme.

In 2026, the income threshold for BGK Kredyt Studencki eligibility is set by ministerial decree and is approximately 3 000 PLN net per person per month in the student's household. This is calculated as total household net income divided by the number of persons in the household. The income is based on the previous tax year's data (PIT returns or income certificates). Students from families exceeding this threshold do not qualify. The threshold is adjusted annually and published in the official regulation — check the current threshold on the BGK website or with a participating bank when applying.

If you discontinue your studies, you must notify BGK and the loan disbursements stop immediately. Repayment begins 1 year after the date you left the university (not 2 years as for graduates). The full loan balance becomes repayable on the same proportional schedule. If you transfer to another university or resume studies at a later date, you may be eligible to resume disbursements — discuss with BGK. Dropping out of studies does not cancel the debt; it only changes the timing and terms of repayment. Ensure you formally deregister from your university so that BGK is notified through the proper channels.

Yes. Beyond the BGK loan, students can access: social scholarship (stypendium socjalne) — a monthly grant for students with low family income, available at all public universities; rector's scholarship (stypendium rektora) — merit-based grant for academically excellent students (top 10% of each study year); disability scholarship (stypendium specjalne) — for students with a confirmed disability certificate (orzeczenie o niepełnosprawności); sports scholarship — for students who are competitive athletes; and NAWA scholarships for international students (programme-specific, not means-tested). Apply for social and merit scholarships through your university's student affairs office (dziekanat) at the start of each academic year.

No. The BGK Kredyt Studencki is available for students enrolled in bachelor's (licencjat) and master's (magisterium) degree programmes, and for five-year unified master's programmes (e.g., law, medicine, architecture). It is not available for doctoral studies (studia doktoranckie or szkoły doktorskie). PhD students in Poland have access to doctoral scholarships (stypendium doktoranckie), which are provided by the university as part of the doctoral school programme and are mandatory under Polish law — all PhD students admitted to a doctoral school must receive a scholarship of at least 37% of a professor's salary during their studies.

No. The BGK Kredyt Studencki is only available to full-time (stacjonarne) students. Part-time (niestacjonarne or zaoczne) students are not eligible for the loan, regardless of their financial situation. This is because part-time programmes are designed for working adults who are assumed to have employment income. If you study full-time but also work, you can still apply for the loan provided your family income meets the threshold. EU citizens studying on Polish-language full-time programmes for free are also eligible to apply for the BGK loan if they meet the income criterion.

The right amount depends on your monthly living expenses and other income sources. Consider: dormitory room approximately 500–900 PLN per month, food approximately 600–1 200 PLN, transport and incidentals approximately 200–400 PLN. If you live in a dormitory and have some parental support, 600 PLN per month may suffice as a supplement. If you live independently in a major city and pay market rent, 1 000 PLN is a useful contribution but will not cover full costs alone. Many students combine the BGK loan with part-time work and possibly a social or merit scholarship to cover total expenses. You can change the amount each academic year when renewing the loan application.

Required documents typically include: completed application form (provided by the participating bank), certificate of enrolment for the current academic year (zaświadczenie o studiach) issued by your university, household income documentation — usually the previous year's tax returns (PIT-37 or PIT-36) for all adult household members, or income certificates from employers, proof of identity (passport or national ID), PESEL number, and for non-EU students: Karta Polaka, residence permit or other qualifying status document. The bank may request additional documents depending on your specific situation. All foreign-language documents must be accompanied by a certified Polish translation.

No. Early repayment of the BGK Kredyt Studencki is permitted without any penalty or additional fees. If your financial situation improves after graduation (e.g., a well-paid job), you can repay the outstanding loan balance in part or in full at any time, saving on interest costs. Contact BGK or the partner bank directly to arrange early repayment and receive a current payoff statement (saldo zadłużenia). Early repayment is often advisable since the outstanding balance continues to accrue interest (at the subsidised rate) until fully repaid, even if your scheduled monthly payments are up to date.

If you experience genuine financial hardship after graduation and cannot meet repayment obligations, contact BGK promptly. Options include: applying for a deferment (odroczenie) of repayments for a specified period due to documented hardship (unemployment, serious illness), restructuring the repayment schedule (renegotiation of instalment amounts), or in extreme cases, applying for partial cancellation (umorzenie) — available for severe disability or other exceptional circumstances defined in the scheme regulations. The loan is not simply written off if you cannot pay — it remains a debt with interest accruing. Early communication with BGK is essential; missing payments without contact leads to standard debt collection procedures and negative credit bureau entries.