Financial Support for Students in Tricity: How to Apply
Student life in the Tri-City is not only a session at the Gdańsk University of Technology, parties at Monciak or walks on the beach in Brzeźno. It is also a daily struggle with rising rental costs in districts such as Wrzeszcz or Przymorze, as well as sudden random situations that can turn the budget upside down. If during the 2026/2027 academic year your financial situation has deteriorated drastically for reasons beyond your control, you are entitled to assistance.
This article is the result of an analysis of the regulations of material assistance of leading Tri-City universities and real experiences of students. We will guide you through the entire process: from the preparation of documentation to the moment when the funds will be credited to your account.
What is the allowance and can you really apply for it?
An allowance is an ad hoc financial assistance granted in emergency situations. Unlike a social scholarship, there is no fixed income threshold here. The key is to demonstrate that the random event that happened to you has drastically worsened your financial situation and makes it difficult to continue your education.
When can you apply? (Real-life examples)
In the Tri-City reality, scholarship committees most often consider applications positively in the following cases:
- Health problems: A long-term illness of you or a family member, requiring expensive treatment or rehabilitation.
- Random events: Fire, flooding of an apartment (a common defect in older buildings in Gdańsk Śródmieście), theft of electronic equipment necessary for learning.
- Death of a family member: Associated with sudden burial costs or the loss of the main breadwinner of the family.
- Loss of income: Suddenly firing the person who financed you, or having to pay high medical costs that exceed your budget.
Important: According to the Law on Higher Education and Science, you can apply for the allowance no more than twice in an academic year. Remember, however, that each subsequent allowance must relate to a different event.
Step-by-step procedure: How to go through the formalities in the Tri-City?
Most universities in the Tri-City (UG, PG, AMG, AWFiS, ASP) have implemented digital scholarship service systems. Here’s what the path you need to walk looks like:
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Step 1: Timeliness is key
According to the regulations, you must submit an application for assistance within 3 months of the occurrence of the event. Don’t delay. If something happened in October, you can’t come up with a conclusion in January, arguing that it was “out of time.” The university will reject the application for formal reasons without reading the justification.
Step 2: Preparing the evidence
This is the moment when most students make a mistake. Just “nicely writing” the application is not enough. You must have a “pad”:
- Theft: A copy of the police report (e.g. from the police station at Kartuska Street in Gdańsk or from Gdynia Chyloni).
- Disease: Medical certificate, copies of prescriptions, invoices for medicines.
- Flooding: Property manager’s opinion or damage report from the insurer.
Step 3: Application in the system (USOS)
At universities such as the University of Gdańsk or the Gdańsk University of Technology, you log in to the USOSweb system.
- Go to the “Requests” section.
- Select the application for the benefit.
- Be specific in the description of the event. Don’t write a five-page essay. Use the scheme: What happened? When? What was the financial impact on your situation?
- Attach scans of documents in a legible form (PDF).
How much can you get? Amounts in the academic year 2026/2027
The amounts of allowances are not imposed by the ministry – they are set by rectors in consultation with student self-governments. In the Tri-City, it usually looks like this:
- Standard random event: PLN 1,000 – 1,800
- Difficult health situation / death: PLN 2,000 – 3,500
- Extremely difficult situation (disaster): up to PLN 4,500
Remember: These are indicative amounts. Each application is considered individually by the University Scholarship Committee.
Where to look for support when the university allowance is not enough?
If the situation is dramatic, don’t limit yourself to your university. In the Tri-City, there is a support network for people in a difficult life situation:
- MOPR (Municipal Family Support Centre): If you are registered in Gdańsk or live here permanently, you can apply for a targeted benefit at MOPR.
- Academic Ministries: They often have aid funds or casual job offers that are dedicated to students in crisis.
- Career Offices: It is worth applying there not only for an internship, but also for information about scholarships funded by companies cooperating with the university (e.g. companies from the IT sector in Olivia Business Centre or Alchemia).
Formal pitfalls through which the application ends up in the trash
The Scholarship Committee (UKS) is often made up of students sitting in the local government, supported by administrative staff. They do not judge your tragedy through the prism of emotions, but through the prism of compliance with the Material Assistance Regulations.
Errors you need to eliminate:
- “Multiple Funding” Error: If your apartment has been flooded, you have received compensation from a policy (e.g. from your parents or landlord) and you are trying to apply for the full amount of the allowance – you may be accused of trying to get unjust rich. Tip: In the application, indicate exactly what costs were not covered by the insurance (e.g. the purchase of a laptop for studying, when the insurer paid the amount only for the damaged parquet).
- No cause-and-effect relationship: This is the most common reason for rejects. Remember: The allowance is to make it difficult to study. If your grandmother fell ill, but you live in a dormitory on Wyspiańskiego Street, and your grandmother in another city – you must prove that this situation has affected your finances (e.g. you had to buy tickets for frequent trips, pay for a babysitter or take a dean’s leave, which caused you to lose income from work).
- Unclear income: Even if the allowance does not look at income, the application must include a statement of financial situation. If your USOS contains data on a high scholarship for academic achievements, and in the postcard you write that you have nothing to eat for – the committee may be skeptical. Be transparent: write that the savings were consumed by an emergency.
The strategy of writing a justification – what “buys” the committee?
The justification is the most important element of the application. Don’t write: “I’m having a hard time, please help”. Write a report on the crisis.
Use expense-based reasoning (the so-called enumeration method)
- Pre-event expenses: X PLN (rent, food, materials).
- Emergency costs (event): Y PLN (e.g. laptop service – PLN 800, medication – PLN 300, funeral costs – PLN 2000).
- Balance sheet: “My monthly income is Z zł. After incurring emergency costs, the amount left for survival is [liczba], which is below the social minimum.”
If your university requires PDF attachments, name them logically: ‘Nazwisko_Imie_Faktura_Leki.pdf’ and not ‘skan001.pdf’. This saves time for the committee, which subconsciously builds a professional image of the applicant.
What to do if the situation concerns “hidden costs”?
Sometimes the situation is not black and white. You live in Gdansk, but your parents have lost their jobs in another city, so they can no longer pay for your room in the student district.
- What to include: A letter from your parents about the loss of your source of income or a certificate from the Employment Office (if they are registered).
- Argumentation: Demonstrate that the allowance is necessary so that you can complete the current semester without taking a full-time job, which in turn would jeopardize your academic performance.
Appeal path – how to win when refused?
Have you received a negative decision? Take it easy. You have 14 days. You submit your appeal to the Scholarship Appeals Committee.
- The key to success: New evidence. If the first application lacked, for example, a certificate of income from the parents or a more detailed description of the event, add “new evidence” in the appeal.
- Legal argumentation: If the decision was laconic (“No grounds”), you have the right to demand a written justification for the administrative decision. Often, the mere call for justification causes the committee to re-examine the application and admit that it is right.
Did you know? Many students from Pomerania do not know that if they use university aid, they can also apply for local government scholarships (e.g. from the Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship for academic results). Often, an application for assistance (due to a difficult situation) combined with an appropriate application for a social scholarship allows you to obtain real financial support, which actually covers the costs of living in the Tri-City, which is more expensive than the national average.
Top Questions Students Asked
Do I have to be in a difficult financial situation to apply for assistance?
No. The allowance is a random benefit. What matters is the fact that an event has suddenly put a strain on your budget, not your average monthly income.
Can I apply for the allowance if I study in two fields?
Yes, but remember that scholarship benefits are available in one chosen field of study. You cannot receive benefits at two universities at the same time.
Is the allowance taxed?
No, student allowance is exempt from personal income tax. You receive exactly the amount that was allocated by the committee.