Stefan Banach NAWA Scholarship Programme (Poland)

The Stefan Banach programme is Poland’s development scholarship, run jointly by the National Agency for Academic Exchange and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It funds full-time master’s study for citizens of 36 countries covered by Polish Aid, spanning Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, concentrated in engineering, technical, agricultural, exact and life sciences.

The package is genuinely complete: full exemption from tuition at Polish public universities, a monthly stipend of PLN 2,500, a travel allowance, and a fully funded preparatory year of Polish language study for those taking the Polish-language route. Because Polish living costs are among the lowest in the European Union, that stipend goes considerably further than the figure suggests.

Two things are easy to miss. NAWA plays no part in university admissions, so you must apply separately to your chosen institution and satisfy its requirements alongside the scholarship application. And the programme has been consolidated with the former Lukasiewicz scheme, so older guidance describing them as separate is out of date.

• Citizen of one of the 36 countries covered by Polish Aid, spanning Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
• Eligible countries include Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Nigeria, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
• Applying for second-cycle, that is Master's, full-time studies at a Polish university supervised by the Minister of Science and Higher Education.
• Fields are concentrated in engineering and technical sciences, agricultural sciences, exact sciences and life sciences.
• Studies may be taken in Polish or in English.
• Applicants choosing the Polish-language track take a NAWA-funded preparatory year first.
• You must also apply separately to your chosen university and meet its own admission requirements.

• Full tuition exemption at Polish public universities plus a PLN 2,500 monthly stipend, making this a genuinely full package.
• A funded preparatory year for the Polish-language route, including language and culture teaching.
• PLN 2,500 travel allowance.
• Polish living costs are among the lowest in the European Union, so the stipend goes considerably further than the figure suggests.
• Degrees recognised across the EU, with post-study work options in Poland.
• The programme has been consolidated with the Lukasiewicz scheme into a single broader framework.
• An English-track Polish language and culture course is included for those studying in English.

• Electronic application through the NAWA ICT system.
• Separate admission application to your chosen Polish university.
• Bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts, with certified translations.
• Proof of citizenship of an eligible Polish Aid country.
• Motivation letter.
• Language certificate: English for the English track, or evidence of readiness for the Polish preparatory year.
• CV and any documents named in the current call announcement.
• Passport copy.

• Confirm your country appears on the list of 36 Polish Aid countries in the call announcement.
• Choose your university and field of study independently from the offer of Polish institutions that have signed a framework agreement with NAWA.
• Apply separately to that university and meet its admission requirements, since NAWA does not take part in university admissions.
• Submit the NAWA application electronically through the NAWA ICT system by the published deadline, in Polish or English.
• Decide between the Polish-language track with its funded preparatory year and the English-language track.
• Verify the exact 2027 date on the NAWA site, since the closing date has shifted between late May and late June in recent cycles.
• On award, complete Polish visa and residence procedures before the academic year begins.