How to drop out of university in Wrocław without fees?

Full-time studies at Wrocław’s public universities are free of charge, which is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and the Law on Higher Education and Science. However, this does not mean that dropping out of education without completing the formalities does not entail financial consequences.

Trap of charging fees for repeating classes (conditions)

If you had a conditional entry and signed a declaration on repeating a specific subject (e.g. physics at the Wrocław University of Technology in building C-13 or microeconomics at the University of Economics at Komandorska Street), the university charges a fee for re-participation in these classes.

If you simply stop attending the university, fees for repeated courses will be charged until the day when the dean’s office officially crosses you off the list of students. This may take up to the end of the semester. Submitting a formal resignation at the beginning of the semester avoids fees for uncompleted class hours.

Circulation card and library penalties

Before collecting documents from the university, you must settle the so-called circulation card, which is available in an electronic version at most universities in Wrocław. The biggest barrier is usually unreturned books in libraries – e.g. in the University Library of the University of Wrocław at Joliot-Curie Street or the WUT Library (CINTE).

Before the dean’s office issues you with the original maturity certificate, you must pay all financial penalties for keeping the volumes.

Resignation from studies at private universities in Wrocław – how to avoid fees?

In the case of private universities (e.g. WSB Merito University Wrocław at Fabryczna Street or the University of Lower Silesia DSW at Wagonowa Street), the basis of your relationship with the university is a civil law contract. In this case, resignation from studies is tantamount to termination of the contract for the provision of educational services.

• Strict notice period: Contracts at non-public universities in Wrocław usually provide for a one- or three-month notice period. If you resign on October 15, the contract will not be terminated until the end of November (with a one-month notice period). For these month and a half, you are legally obliged to pay full tuition, even if you do not appear for a single lecture.
• Moment of submission of the letter: To minimize costs, it is best to submit your resignation from a private university before the start of the new semester (i.e. by the end of September in the case of the winter semester or by the end of February in the case of the summer semester). This will prevent a new billing cycle from starting.

What happens if you just stop going to class?

Many students decide to leave their studies quietly. They believe that not attending classes will automatically solve the case. This is an error that generates unnecessary complications.

The dean’s office will remove you from the list of students ex officio (this is the so-called deletion from the list of students due to not taking up studies or lack of progress in your studies), but this procedure takes from a few weeks to several months. All this time:

• At a private university, your debt from unpaid tuition is growing, which will eventually go to an external debt collection company or court.
• At a public university, fees may be charged for uncompleted repetition of subjects.
• Your original documents (including your high school diploma) remain locked in the university’s archives and you will not be able to collect them without first settling the financial arrears and settling the circulation bill.

Step-by-step procedure: How to resign from studies correctly?

To make the cancellation process cost-free, follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Prepare a written statement of resignation

The letter must contain your personal data, album number, field of study, degree and form of study (full-time/part-time). You don’t have to give a reason for your decision – an unambiguous statement about resigning from continuing education is enough.

Step 2: Deliver the document to the Dean’s Office

You have two options for delivering a letter:

• In person at the dean’s office of your faculty – ask the official to affix a stamp with the date of receipt to your copy of the document. This is your proof in the event of a dispute over the date of termination of the contract.
• Sending by post – send the letter by registered mail with a return receipt confirmation (ZPO) to the official address of the dean’s office. The date of resignation is determined by the date of the postmark or the date of delivery (depending on the regulations of a given university – it is safer to assume the date of delivery of the parcel).

Step 3: Finalize the Circulation Card

Log in to the student portal (USOSweb or university extranet) and check the status of the circulation card. Give all your books to the library and settle any fees for the dormitory (e.g. if you lived in “Teky” in Wittigowo or “Kredka” at Grunwaldzki Square).

Step 4: Return your student ID and collect your documents

According to the regulations, at the time of resignation from studies, you lose your student status and you are obliged to return the Electronic Student Card (ELS) to the dean’s office. After returning the ID card and closing the circulation, the clerk will issue you with the original of your secondary school leaving certificate from the student’s file.

Effects of formal resignation vs. “dropout” of studies

The table below presents a comparison of both paths of graduation at Wrocław universities.

Recovering documents from a student’s file in Wrocław

The original of your high school diploma (or bachelor’s degree if you are dropping out of a master’s degree) is in your physical file in the dean’s office archives.

The university has no right to keep your high school diploma as a “pledge” for unpaid fees (e.g. outstanding tuition fees at a private university). Such an action is unlawful and constitutes a violation of the right to property.

If the official refuses to issue the document because of a debt, call on him or her to give written reasons for the refusal. This usually results in the immediate issuance of the document. Remember, however, that collecting your high school diploma does not cancel your debt – the private university will still pursue overdue fees in court.

Refund for the UrbanCard semester ticket – how to get cash back from MPK Wrocław?

Few students are aware that after resigning from their studies, they can get their money back for the unused period of validity of a semester ticket for Wrocław trams and buses. If you have purchased a 5-month or semester ticket encoded on the UrbanCard (or on the Electronic Student Card), and you resign from your studies, e.g. after two months, MPK Wrocław is obliged to refund you the amount for the remaining, unused days.

Where and how to arrange a return?

• Go to the UrbanCard Customer Service: In Wrocław, season ticket refunds are carried out only at dedicated points, e.g. at 240 Grabiszyńska Street or 75/79 Bolesława Prusa Street.
• Do this before returning your ID: To make a return and verify your identity, you will need an UrbanCard or a student ID card on which the ticket is coded. Go to the BOK UrbanCard before the final ELS dean’s office dedication.
• Principle of calculation of the refund: MPK Wrocław deducts the handling fee (in accordance with the applicable price list), and then calculates the value of the remaining days to be used and returns the cash on the spot or by bank transfer. Delaying the application reduces the amount of the refund with each passing day.

Do you have to give back the (social/rector’s) scholarship after resignation? Legal status

If you have received a social scholarship or a rector’s scholarship for October and November, and you submit your resignation, for example, on 15 November, the question arises: will the university demand a refund of the funds already paid?

• No obligation to reimburse for the period of student status: By law, the scholarship is paid for the period during which you had student status. If you were formally enrolled in the student list by November 15, the funds received for October and November are yours. The university has no right to demand their return.
• The trap of unduly collected benefits: The obligation to reimburse (together with statutory interest) arises only if you have collected the scholarship for the month in which you no longer had student status from the first day. If the decision to delete it became final on November 28, and the university mistakenly transferred the scholarship to you in December, you must absolutely return this money. The dean’s offices closely monitor these deadlines, and ignoring the summons for reimbursement results in a case in civil court.

Resignation during an Erasmus+ trip – how to avoid a gigantic debt?

This is the most costly trap. If you have gone on an Erasmus+ scholarship (e.g. from the University of Wrocław to Germany or Spain), you have received a high financial grant (often several thousand euros), and during the semester you find that you are dropping out of your studies – resignation without following the Erasmus+ procedures means that you have to return 100% of the grant received.

How to carry out a resignation with minimal losses?

• Report the situation to the International Relations Office (BWM): Do not submit your resignation to your home dean’s office until you have settled your status at the Erasmus+ office (in Wrocław, e.g. in the main building of the University of Wrocław on University Square).
• Force Majeure Procedure: If the reason for resigning and returning to Wrocław is health problems or a difficult random situation, submit a request for recognition of the case as “force majeure”. The National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme can then agree to reimburse only part of the grant (in proportion to the unused time) or release you from the obligation to reimburse you altogether.
• Settle the minimum number of ECTS credits: If possible, before formally resigning, try to pass the minimum number of ECTS credits required in the financial agreement at the partner university (usually 15 or 20 ECTS). This will save you from considering the trip completely unproductive and having to return the full amount of the grant.

FAQ – Dropping out of studies in Wroclaw

Do I have to give a reason for dropping out of my studies?

No. The decision to drop out of college is your sovereign right. Neither a public nor a private university may require you to provide the justification or motivation behind this decision in the resignation statement.

Do I have to give up my student ID card immediately after resigning from my studies?

Yes. As soon as you are formally removed from the list of students, you lose the right to have an Electronic Student Card (ELS). You are obliged to return it to the dean’s office. Using an outdated ID card to purchase discounted MPK Wrocław tickets or PKP train tickets after losing the student status is an offence and is punishable by a financial penalty during the ticket control.

What should I do if the library has charged me a penalty for keeping books?

Before collecting the documents from the dean’s office, you must settle any arrears shown in the electronic circulation card. If the fine in the library (e.g. at the University of Wrocław) is high, you can go directly to the Director of the Library with a written request to cancel part of the penalty or convert it into an equivalent (e.g. purchase of a new book for the library with a lower value than the penalty charged).

Can I drop out of college and get my private university enrollment back

The enrolment fee and the enrolment fee at private universities in Wrocław are usually non-refundable, unless the fee regulations state otherwise. These funds cover the administrative costs associated with the recruitment process and the creation of the student’s file, so the chances of recovering them are minimal.

How does resignation from studies affect ZUS health insurance?

Health insurance due to registration by the university or parents expires exactly 30 days after the date of deletion from the list of students (and not from the date of the end of the academic year). In order not to lose access to free medical care in NFZ clinics in Wrocław, after resigning, you should register as soon as possible at the District Labour Office at Gliniana Street (as an unemployed person) or report this fact to your new employer in the event of taking up a job.

Secure your academic future

The decision to interrupt education always requires cold calculation. Fast, formal and correct closure of student affairs in the dean’s office allows you to avoid unpleasant financial consequences and blocking of documents. Regardless of whether you are resigning from your studies at the Wrocław University of Technology or at the WSB Merit University, completing the formalities related to circulation, return of the ID card and written termination of the contract protects you from calls for payment and allows you to keep a clean slate for possible future education in Wrocław.