Announcement by the Rector of the TUL on the procedure for paying doctoral scholarships

This Announcement sets out the rules for paying a doctoral scholarship and increasing the doctoral scholarship to doctoral candidates studying at the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Lodz University of Technology on the basis of the Act of 20 July 2018. Law on Higher Education and Science (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1571, as amended), hereinafter referred to as the Act, and defines the regulations regarding the registration of these doctoral candidates for social security and health insurance on the basis of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds (consolidated text: Journal  of Laws of 2025, item 1461 as amended)

1.    A doctoral scholarship is awarded to a doctoral candidate without a doctoral degree, from the month 
in which they obtained the status of a doctoral candidate of IDS TUL. 
2.    Doctoral candidates who receive a doctoral scholarship are subject to compulsory insurance: retirement, disability and accident insurance during the period of receiving a doctoral scholarship.
3.    Sickness insurance is voluntary and covers it at the request of the doctoral candidate.
4.    The basis for the calculation of doctoral candidates' social security contributions is the amount of the doctoral scholarship received. 
5.    If a doctoral candidate who receives a doctoral scholarship is also a pensioner or retiree, they are subject to voluntary social insurance. 

1.    The amount of the monthly doctoral scholarship is at least:
1)    37% of the professor's remuneration – up to the month in which the mid-term evaluation was carried out;
2)    57% of the professor's remuneration – after the month in which the mid-term evaluation was carried out;
in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of April 14, 2026 changing the resolution  on the amount of the minimum monthly basic salary for a professor at a public university. (Journal of Laws 2026, item 525)
2.    A doctoral candidate studying at IDS TUL holding a disability certificate, a certificate of degree of disability or a certificate referred to in Article 5 and Article 62 of the Act of 27 August 1997 on professional and social rehabilitation and employment of disabled people (Journal of Laws of 2026, item 884, as amended), is entitled to a doctoral scholarship in the amount increased by 30% of the amount indicated in point III.1. point (1).

3.    The doctoral scholarship is not available to a doctoral candidate whose education at a doctoral school is related to the obligation to work in an entity running a doctoral school: 
1) on the basis of an employment contract; 
2) with a remuneration that exceeds the amount of the professor's remuneration. 

1.    A doctoral candidate who is entitled to a doctoral scholarship and who has acquired the rights of a doctoral candidate in accordance with Article 200 (8) of the Act, submits to the IDS TUL Office:

1)    declaration for social security and health insurance purposes, in accordance with Appendix 1;
2)    a declaration of not having a doctoral degree and an obligation to notify the Head of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Lodz University of Technology of any changes in this regard, in accordance with Appendix 2;
3)    declaration of obtaining a doctoral scholarship in other doctoral schools, in accordance with Appendix 3. 

2.    Information on the period of granting the doctoral scholarship: 

1)    the total period of receiving a doctoral scholarship may not exceed 4 years. This period does not include the period of suspension referred to in Article 204 (3) of the Act and the period of education at the doctoral school in the case referred to in Article 206 item (2) of the Act
2)    the doctoral scholarship is awarded from the first year of training for the academic year, except in cases where, according to the training plan at IDS TUL, the last year of training lasts one semester. 

3.    The continuation of the payment of the doctoral scholarship for the next academic year or for the next semester of a given academic year takes place in the case in which the person to whom the scholarship relates maintains the status of a doctoral candidate, fulfils the provisions of the Regulations of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Lodz University of Technology and submits new statements referred to in point IV.1 (1) and (2).
4.    The doctoral scholarship is paid in arrears, on the last working day of the month, in the amount specified in point III.1, excluding doctoral candidate implementing projects, if the agreement provides otherwise.
5.    In individual cases, it is allowed to send statements, in accordance with Appendices No. 1 – 3, by letter to the address of the IDS TUL Office (the date of receipt of the application is the date of receipt of the letter by TUL's Chancellery). 
6.    The right to receive a doctoral scholarship and an increased scholarship expires on the day following the day on which the doctoral candidate lost the right to these scholarships due to obtaining the doctoral degree referred to in Article 186 of the Act, the existence of the conditions set out in Article 209 section (1a) of the Act, loss of the status of a doctoral candidate or the period referred to in Article 209 section (2) and sec. (8) of the Act. In the event of removal from the list of doctoral candidates, payment of the above-mentioned scholarship shall cease on the day following the date on which the decision to remove the candidate becomes final. 
7.    The doctoral candidate loses the right to a doctoral scholarship and an increased scholarship in the following cases: 

1)    when they have been suspended from the right of a doctoral candidate to a doctoral scholarship for a period of up to one year by a final decision of a disciplinary committee; 
2)    was removed from the list of doctoral candidates at IDS TUL;
3)    when they obtained a scholarship on the basis of providing false data.

8.    The doctoral scholarship and the increase of the doctoral scholarship are exempt from personal income tax on the basis of Article 21 section (1) point 39 of the Act of 26 
July 1991 on personal income tax (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2026, item 592 as amended).
9.    A doctoral candidate who is entitled to a doctoral scholarship and/or an increase in the doctoral scholarship or who receives the said scholarships shall immediately notify the Head of IDS TUL and the Academic Support Unit of Lodz University of Technology about the occurrence of circumstances causing the loss of the right to pay them or causing changes in the rules of being subject to social and health insurance.
10.    The doctoral candidate is obliged to present all documents necessary for the payment of the scholarship and scholarship in an increased amount in a timely manner. 
11.    If Appendices are incomplete, the doctoral candidate will receive from the IDS TUL Office or the Academic Support Unit at TUL, a request to supplement the formal deficiencies indicated in the application within the prescribed period from the delivery of the request. In the event of failure to provide a complete set of required documents, the case is left unaddressed.
12.    Providing false data by the doctoral candidate may be the basis for initiating disciplinary proceedings in the manner specified in Article 322 of the Act and the regulations in force at the University.
13.    Benefits are paid in the form of a transfer to the doctoral candidate's personal account specified 
in Appendix 1 to this Announcement.
14.    Information on the mode of payment of the doctoral scholarship or increasing the doctoral scholarship:

1)    documents necessary for the payment of scholarships are considered without undue delay;
2)    payment deadlines depend on the degree of correctness and completeness of the submitted documents and other delays resulting, among others, from the fault of the doctoral candidate or for reasons beyond the control of the University.

1.    The increased doctoral scholarship referred to in point III.2 is granted at the written request of the doctoral candidate, in accordance with the application constituting Appendix 4.
2.    A doctoral candidate who is entitled to a doctoral scholarship in an increased amount and who has met the conditions set out in point IV.1 shall submit to the Academic Support Unit of Lodz University of Technology application, in accordance with Appendix 4, and a certificate of degree of disability or equivalent document. 
3.    Doctoral candidates in the second and subsequent years of training who meet the requirements set out in points III.2 and IV.1 shall submit Appendix 4 by 31 October this year to the Academic Support Unit of Lodz University of Technology. 
4.    Information on the period of granting the doctoral scholarship in the increased amount:

1)    the total period of receiving a doctoral scholarship may not exceed 4 years. This period does not include the period of suspension referred to in Article 204 (3) of the Act and the period of education at the doctoral school in the case referred to in Article 206 item (2) of the Act 
2)    a doctoral scholarship in an increased amount is paid from the month in which the Academic Support Unit of Lodz University of Technology received an application prepared in accordance with Appendix 4;
3)    the doctoral scholarship in the increased amount is awarded from the first year of training for the period of the academic year or the validity of the certificate of degree of disability or equivalent, but not longer than the academic year, except in cases where, according to the training plan at IDS TUL, the last year of training lasts one semester and it is shorter than the validity of the certificate of degree of disability or equivalent;
4)    if a certificate of degree of disability or equivalent expires during the year, the scholarship will not be paid from the next month after the expiry of the certificate. The scholarship is paid again after submitting the application and a document confirming the disability, in accordance with point V.2; 
5)    a doctoral scholarship in an increased amount is paid in arrears, at the end of each month, in equal instalments (payments with compensation for previous months are allowed). 

5.    In individual cases, it is allowed to send Appendix No. 4 by letter to the address of the Academic Support Unit of Lodz University of Technology (the date of receipt of the application is the date of receipt of the letter by TUL's Chancellery). 
6.    All documents confirming the disability of a doctoral candidate are confidential documentation 
and are stored in the Academic Support Unit at TUL. Academic Support Unit confirms the fact of the doctoral candidate's disability on the application for an increase in the scholarship.

1.    All doctoral candidates of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Lodz University of Technology, who are citizens of the Republic of Poland, are subject to the obligation of health insurance  and have the right to benefit from medical care services free of charge. 
2.    Lodz University of Technology applies for health insurance for doctoral candidates who are not registered for health insurance as family members of the insured person and are not subject to the obligation of health insurance for the reasons referred to in Article 66 of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds at their written request 
3.    The basis for applying for social security and health insurance is the submission by the doctoral candidate to the IDS TUL Office of a correctly completed declaration according to the template in Appendix 1. 
4.    A doctoral candidate who has lost the right to health insurance for the previous title, and cannot be registered as a family member and is not subject to the obligation of health insurance for the reasons referred to in Article 66 of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds, is obliged to immediately re-submit to the IDS TUL Office the statement referred to in point VI.3. Failure to comply with this obligation results in the lack of continuity of the doctoral candidate's health insurance and the financial burden of the doctoral candidate for the medical services they used in the period when they were not covered by health insurance.
5.    The doctoral candidate who has been registered for social security and health insurance is obliged to inform the IDS TUL Office about changes affecting the manner of paying social contributions or about the creation of another title to compulsory health insurance within 7 days from the date of the changes under pain of liability in this respect. 
6.    The doctoral candidate notifies about the situation referred to in point VI.5 by re-submitting to the IDS TUL Office the statement referred to in point VI.3.
7.    The right to health care services for doctoral candidates expires after 4 months from the date of completion of training at a doctoral school or removal from the list of doctoral candidates. In the case of doctoral candidates who have completed their education at a doctoral school, the date 
of deregistration from health insurance is the day following the date of loss of doctoral status. In the case of persons who have been removed from the list of doctoral candidates, the date of deregistration from health insurance is the day following the date of entry into force of the decision on deletion. 

1.    Lodz University of Technology pays a health insurance contribution for doctoral candidates of Polish origin who meet the following conditions:

1)    train at a doctoral school,
2)    they are not citizens of Member States of the European Union or a member state of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA),
3)    have been recognized as persons of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation or have a valid Polish Card,
4)    are not subject to the obligation of insurance for any other reason. 

2.    The doctoral candidate referred to in point VII.1 is subject to voluntary health insurance regardless of age and, if they wish to use the possibility of applying for health insurance by Lodz University of Technology, is obliged to conclude a voluntary health insurance contract at one of the branches of the National Health Fund (NFZ), in accordance with the procedure below. Doctoral candidate:

1)    collects from the IDS TUL Office a certificate confirming the fact of training at the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Lodz University of Technology in order to present it at the National Health Fund,
2)    submits an application for voluntary health insurance to a branch of the National Health Fund,
3)    concludes an agreement with the National Health Fund for voluntary health insurance, 
4)    completes, in accordance with the procedure set out in point VI.3, a declaration for health insurance and a declaration on not being subject to health insurance for another reason within 3 days from the date of signing the contract with the National Health Fund. The doctoral candidate presents to the employee of the IDS TUL Office the agreement referred to in point 3 and a certificate from a Polish diplomatic mission (consulate or embassy) of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation or a valid Polish Card.
 

1.    Doctoral candidates of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Lodz University of Technology, who are not citizens of Member States of the European Union or a member state of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) – parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and who cannot demonstrate a document confirming that they have been recognized as persons of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation or do not have a valid Polish Card, may conclude a voluntary health insurance agreement with the National Health Fund and independently pay a monthly health insurance contribution.

1.    Doctoral candidates and members of their families staying with them, who are citizens of Member States of the European Union or a member state of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) – parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, may benefit from health benefits on the territory of Poland on the basis of coordination provisions, provided they have health insurance in the general insurance system of any of EU or EFTA Member States.
2.    Documents entitling to free use of health care services on the same terms as Polish citizens are a current passport, a valid doctoral student ID card and a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).