The Best Student Loans in Poland

Compare the best options on the market and choose the one which best adapts to your day to day needs.

Further Below: Our Guide To Student Loans in Poland, Everything you need to know.

1. Alior Bank

• Excellent loan conditions for both new and old borrowers
• Loans of between 500 and 80,000 PLN
• Competitive interest rates of 5.12% p.a
• Favorable repayment periods of between 3 months and 120 months
• Fixed interest rates for long-term loans
• Has few additional costs
• Provides loans for a variety of purposes
• Available to applicants with enough income

2. BNP Paribas SA

• Affordable interest rates of 6.5% p.a
• Flexible loan limits of up to 70,000 PLN
• Excellent loan conditions
• Available for all purposes
• Provides financing under less strict requirements
• Excludes insurance charges
• Loan size grows with timely repayments
• Friendly repayments of up to 7 years

3. PKO BP

• Get a loan of up to 50,000 PLN
• Provides loans to creditworthy clients
• Attractive interest rates of 6.8% p.a
• Available for a variety of purposes
• Has fewer eligibility criteria than other top banks
• Friendly repayment terms of up to 7 years
• Has few commissions

Student Loans in Poland, All You Need To Know:

Student loans were introduced in Poland 22 years ago and have been providing financial solutions for students who wish to pursue their careers. The conditions of the loans are meant to be friendly for the student right from their inception. Student loans in Poland have been improving over the years as their terms of financing keep getting better. 

Hang tight to know everything about student credits in Poland.

Quick Summary

What you should know about student credits:

• Different student loans are designed to address different needs
• Student loans have the most favorable conditions among all loans
• Most lenders require a guarantee before approving the loan request
• Student credits can be applied for by the parent, student, or both
• Student credits have a grace period of up to 5 years
• Most lenders will request for loan repayment 2 years after the student’s graduation
• A student has an option to ask for a 12-month deferral of payment if in need to

Types of student loans we can apply for

As mentioned previously, there are a variety of student credits each adapted to different needs. Hence, these loans are divided into different categories which are listed below. One of the factors used to classify these loans is their purpose. While some loans are designed to cover all the expenses relating to studies, others may offer a percentage of the tuition fees.

Let’s dive!

• Financing a degree. There are two types of loans under this category:

• Loans that finance the tuition fee exclusively. The lender, hence, requires your fee structure before processing this loan.
• Loans that finance the tuition fee and all other costs related to studies such as hostel rent, transportation, educational trips, and stationery among others.

• Scholarship Advances: this is a type of student loan that provides financing to a scholarship beneficiary. The lender advances the money needed so that the student is able to start their course at the beginning of the semester. This loan is taken out to avoid delays in waiting for the scholarship funds that always arrive later in the semester. The loan is fully reimbursed once the scholarship funds arrive.

• Financing your postgraduate studies ( a master’s degree, a postgraduate diploma, or a doctorate). Depending on the lender, the loan may cover only a percentage of the tuition fee or all the related expenses.

• Financing your studies abroad: Just like in the case of scholarship advance the student receives the funds before the scholarship funds are released and are required to repay them in full soon after receiving the scholarship funds.

• Specialized courses: such as a middle or higher grade training cycle, computer classes…
• Financing of laptops: entities provide financing to students who are not able to purchase laptops by themselves. The conditions of this loan are better than personal loans.

Financing linked to the educational center

Universities, colleges, and other institutions of learning across Poland have made connections with lenders to have them provide financing directly to their students. These loans are considered better than taking out a loan individually because of their ease of hiring them. Additionally, they provide more personalized services that are designed to address your course’s unique needs.

However, look to compare the conditions of the loan linked to your school against a loan from a bank so you can end up with the best offer.

Are student loans cheaper?

Student loans in Poland are designed to have lower interest rates than other types of loans. However, this depends on the conditions of a loan. While some loans have 0% interest, others may have as high as 6% interest. You may want to look for a student loan that’s below 8% at interest for ease of repayment.

Moreover, most student loans are repaid later, after the student completes their studies and is able to get employment. This makes it a good debt as it has been useful in transforming the student’s quality of life.

Characteristics of student credits

Get a 360-degree view of student loans by knowing their main features. This will inform your decision-making process too.

• Interest: while some loans have 0% interest rates, others may have interests of between 3% and 6%. Anything higher than this percentage is considered expensive.

• Commissions: Many lenders charge commissions. Hence, take time to understand how the loan works so that you may be well prepared for commissions in case the entity charges them. For instance, entities will charge between 0.5% and 1% for repayments made in advance of the designated time. Some entities also require an opening fee as you start repaying the loan which is between 1% and 2%.

• Binding: seek to know whether the loan you’re receiving involves some type of tying.

• Check the cost of the links so you may not be faced with unexpected expenses.

• Endorsements and guarantees: the entity may have your parent or guardian act as a guarantor if you are unemployed or a minor. 

Requirements to be able to apply for a loan as a student

You may not be faced with as many requirements as in taking out other loans such as mortgage loans. However lax the conditions are, it is important to meet all the requirements to increase the chances of the approval of your loans.

Below are the must-meet requirements:

• Be of the right age. The holder of a student credit is required to have the right age. Hence, if the student is a minor, entities will require the parent or guardian to make the application on his behalf. 

• Some entities, however, ask the parent to make the application instead of the student

• Do not have any pending or unpaid debts with other entities. The lender will automatically cancel your application if your name is on the Credit Reference Office (BIK) blacklist.

• Collect sufficient income. The lender will assess your ability to repay the loan. Hence, they will request supporting documents. 

• However, if the student is not employed, the parent applying on their behalf will be required to have sufficient income.

• Many entities in Poland provide financing for students without income and require them to make repayments after completing their studies. 

• In the case that the student is employed but collecting a low income, they will be required to have a guarantor with a stable income.

• Since scholarship advances are repaid in full once the scholarship funds are received, the entity will not require any income or collateral.

• Be a Polish resident and have all the documents that prove that you are a legal resident.

The above requirements may vary with an entity, hence, consult with a lender before committing to a loan.

Can I get a student loan if I don’t work?

There’s no standard answer for this as different entities have unique requirements regarding the employment status of the student. Generally, all entities require all their holders to be employed. Some allow the parent and the student to share the ownership of the account while others only require one account holder.

Many entities require guarantors where the student is a minor before approving the application.

There are study credits that can be paid later

Generally, student credits have grace periods whose length varies with entities. Student credits that are paid after completion of studies don’t require any repayments until then. In this way, the student is able to focus on studies without having to worry about repayment.

About this page, our methodology

What this page is for: we are here to help you get the best financial product that addresses your needs. Hence, we walk you through all it takes to get the current best offer, explain terms, how to compare offers, and how to assess your financial situation viz-a-viz these loans; the whole nine yards.

Source: The information regarding the best loans, their main characteristics, and their regulation has been drawn from the Polish Law on consumer credits, and the Loan Market Association.

Methodology: The data relating to the conditions of these products (amount, term, interest, etc.) have been obtained through online research and consultation of the official statistics of the aforementioned reference sources.

About FUNDGECKO: we are an online comparator website that offers assistance in personal finance and home economics. Besides comparing the different loan options, you get rich information on how to identify the best option that perfectly fits your situation.Note: the services we offer are totally free for the user, as FUNDGECKO obtains its income from advertising and its featured products.