Jagiellonian University in Krakow does not run one single scholarship for international students. It runs a family of them. There is a general Scholarship Fund with social, disability and Rector's scholarships plus emergency aid, a set of internal university funds with their own rules, and a link into the national NAWA programmes. If you are a Pakistani student looking at Poland, the useful question is not "can I get the Jagiellonian scholarship" but "which of these pots could I realistically qualify for". You can see the full scholarship details on our listing, and this guide walks through how the pieces fit together.
Most of this money is aimed at students who are already admitted and enrolled. A few funds are merit awards for incoming students, and some are reserved for specific nationalities. So this suits you if you plan to study at Jagiellonian anyway and want to reduce costs once you are there. It does not suit you if you need a guaranteed full scholarship before you can even accept an offer.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Jagiellonian University Krakow |
| Country | Poland |
| Funding | Full or partial, depending on the scheme |
| Study levels | Bachelor's, Master's, uniform Master's, PhD |
| Deadline | Varies, confirm on the official site |
| Headline stipend | 2,100 PLN per month (Jagiellonian University Scholarship) |
| Official site | welcome.uj.edu.pl scholarships page |
The three groups of funding at Jagiellonian
It helps to sort everything into three groups before you read any rules.
The Scholarship Fund is the general system. It covers social scholarships, scholarships for students with disabilities, Rector's scholarships and emergency financial aid. It is open to full-time and part-time students in first-cycle, second-cycle and uniform Master's programmes, regardless of age. There are semester limits and restrictions for people who already hold a degree, which we cover below.
The internal university funds are narrower. They include the Jagiellonian University Scholarship, the Professor Franciszek Ziejka Scholarship Fund, the Bohdan Lysiak Scholarship Fund, the Ad Polonos Scholarship Fund and the Rector's Scholarship Fund for Olympians. These target high achievers, particular nationalities, or refugees and holders of temporary protection or asylum. Some faculties also run closed departmental funds, such as the Franciszek Mertens Fund in Mathematics and Informatics, so check your own faculty's pages.
NAWA scholarships are national Polish programmes for international learners. Their monthly stipends vary by programme and study level, and the university's welcome pages point to them.
What the 2,100 PLN stipend and the other awards actually pay
The most attractive single award is the Jagiellonian University Scholarship: 2,100 PLN per month, awarded for the entire duration of study up to 5 years. It is for top incoming students, and the conditions are tight (more on that in the next section).
The rest of the Scholarship Fund works differently:
- The social scholarship is a variable amount based on family income. There is an increase of approximately 250 PLN for special circumstances.
- The disability scholarship is also variable, set by the degree of disability.
- The Rector's scholarship goes to the top 10 percent of students, judged on grades and on academic, artistic or sports achievements.
- Emergency aid is a one-off payment for a temporary difficult life situation.
- NAWA stipends are monthly and depend on the programme and level.
One genuinely useful detail: university scholarships are tax-free under Polish rules and do not need to be declared in your annual Polish tax return. What you are awarded is what you receive.
Be realistic about the word "full" here. Apart from the fixed monthly stipends, most of these awards are needs-based or merit-based top-ups. None of the source information describes tuition waivers or travel costs, so do not assume them. Plan your budget as if the scholarship is a help rather than your entire funding, and if you are applying for a Polish student visa you will still need to show funds. Our guide on bank statements and proof of funds covers that side.
Eligibility rules that catch international students
The basic rule is simple: you must be enrolled at Jagiellonian University in a first-cycle, second-cycle, uniform Master's or PhD programme. After that, each scheme has its own filters.
The social scholarship and the 2019/2020 cutoff
International students who started their studies from 2019/2020 onward must meet specific criteria on legal residence, citizenship or refugee status to receive a social scholarship. Students who started earlier are treated under different rules. For a new Pakistani student this matters: being an international student is not enough on its own. Check with the university which residence or status conditions apply to your nationality before you count on this money.
You also cannot receive the social scholarship if you already hold a Master's degree, or if you hold a Bachelor's degree and are studying at first-cycle level again. If you finished a BS in Pakistan and plan to start a second Bachelor's in Krakow, you are not eligible for the social scholarship.
The 12-semester ceiling
Scholarship Fund benefits cannot be received for more than 12 semesters in total, with a maximum of 9 semesters at first-cycle level and 7 at second-cycle level. This is a lifetime limit, not per degree, so students who switch programmes or repeat years can run through it faster than they expect.
The Jagiellonian University Scholarship
To compete for the 2,100 PLN award, you must have taken your matriculation exam (or its foreign equivalent) within 3 years before the competition is announced, and you must be starting studies for the first time. For Pakistani applicants the foreign equivalent would be your school-leaving qualification, but the source does not say how Pakistani certificates are treated, so ask the university directly. Whether the scheme is open to your nationality should also be confirmed on the official site.
Funds limited to other nationalities
Two funds are not open to Pakistani citizens on the published criteria. The Ad Polonos Fund is for citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania or Ukraine who hold a valid Card of the Pole or confirmed Polish origin and keep a weighted average grade of at least 4.0. The Bohdan Lysiak Fund is for Ukrainian citizens past their first year in fields such as classical philology, law, medicine, dentistry or administration, again with a weighted average of at least 4.0. It is better to know this early than to spend time on an application that cannot succeed.
For Pakistani students, the realistic targets are the Rector's scholarship (merit within your cohort), the Jagiellonian University Scholarship if you meet its timing rules, NAWA programmes, and the social scholarship only if you meet the residence conditions. Check eligibility for your nationality on the official portal for each one.
Paperwork: Polish translations and residence documents
Depending on the scheme, you may need:
- The scholarship application form registered through USOSweb
- Income certificates from the tax office or a foreign equivalent
- Sworn translations into Polish of every foreign document
- Disability certificates issued by Polish authorities
- Your matriculation certificate or foreign equivalent
- A Card of the Pole or decision confirming Polish origin, where it applies
- A residence permit, refugee status document or temporary protection confirmation
The translation requirement is where Pakistani applicants lose the most time. Any income certificate or academic document from Pakistan has to come with a sworn Polish translation, and English is not a substitute. Arrange this before the application window rather than during it. For the Pakistani side of document preparation, our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide is a sensible starting point.
Applying through USOSweb, then on paper
The process is part online and part physical, which surprises many students.
- After admission and enrolment, get your login for USOSweb, the university's student system.
- Go to the Applications section and register the scholarship request you need.
- Print the registered form.
- Attach all supporting documents, with sworn Polish translations.
- Deliver the printed application and documents in person or by post to your scholarship coordinator before the deadline.
Emergency aid is the exception. You can submit that entirely online in USOSweb using the sign and submit function, and you should do it within 3 months of the event that caused the hardship.
When applications open
Information about the Jagiellonian University Scholarship competition is announced by March 1 each year. Scholarship Fund applications are submitted within designated terms that vary by semester, so there is no single fixed date. Confirm the exact deadline for your scheme on the official portal and with your faculty's scholarship coordinator, and do not rely on last year's dates.
Mistakes that cost students money
The most common one is a status mismatch. If your residence permit or disability certificate is not registered with your faculty secretariat, USOS may not show your correct legal status, and an application can stall. Register these documents early.
Second, students forget the sworn translations, or get ordinary translations instead. Third, people mix up start-year rules: check whether your studies began before or after 2019/2020, because the social scholarship rules differ. Fourth, students treat a printed USOSweb form as optional. Registering online is not the same as submitting; the paper copy must reach the coordinator.
Finally, keep the 12-semester limit in mind before changing programmes. Losing a year of eligibility because of a switch is avoidable. The university's Welcome Centre and scholarship coordinators in Krakow are there for questions, so ask before you guess.
If you are still comparing Polish options, see all Poland scholarships in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani students apply for Jagiellonian University scholarships?
Some schemes are open to international students generally, but others are limited to particular nationalities, and the social scholarship has residence or status conditions for students who started from 2019/2020 onward. Check eligibility for Pakistani nationality on the official portal for each scheme you are interested in.
How much is the Jagiellonian University Scholarship?
It is 2,100 PLN per month for the entire duration of study, up to 5 years. Applicants must have taken their matriculation exam or foreign equivalent within 3 years before the competition announcement and be starting studies for the first time.
Do I pay tax on these scholarships in Poland?
No. Scholarships granted by the university are untaxed and do not need to be declared in your annual Polish tax return.
Can I apply before I am admitted?
The standard Scholarship Fund process runs through USOSweb, which you get access to after admission and enrolment. Plan to apply once you are a registered student.
How long can I receive Scholarship Fund benefits?
No more than 12 semesters in total, with a maximum of 9 semesters at first-cycle level and 7 semesters at second-cycle level.
Before applying, check the current rules and dates on the official Jagiellonian scholarships website, and keep the full scholarship page bookmarked for a summary.