Scholarships for Students With Low GPA in Poland 2026/2027
Finding scholarships for students with low GPA in Poland is possible, but students need to choose funding opportunities carefully. Most competitive merit scholarships reward excellent grades, so applicants with a lower academic average should focus on need-based scholarships, hardship grants, scholarships based on social or extracurricular activity, and funding available after enrollment.
There is no major Polish national scholarship officially designed specifically for students with a “low GPA.” However, several funding programmes do not use GPA as their main eligibility criterion.
Can You Get a Scholarship in Poland With a Low GPA?
Yes, depending on the scholarship.
A lower GPA may be less important when funding is based on:
- Financial need.
- Difficult personal circumstances.
- Social or community involvement.
- Organizational achievements.
- Sports or artistic achievements.
- Entrance examination results.
- Performance achieved after starting university in Poland.
International students can also receive scholarships or partial/full tuition waivers directly from Polish universities under applicable university rules.
1. Kozminski Opportunity Scholarship – 90% Tuition Coverage
One of the most interesting options for students who do not have an exceptional GPA is the OPPORTUNITY Scholarship offered by the Kozminski Foundation.
For the 2026/2027 academic year, the scholarship covers:
90% of tuition fees at Kozminski University.
Unlike the Foundation’s Excellence, Performance and Academic Star scholarships, the published Opportunity Scholarship requirements do not specify a minimum GPA.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must generally:
- Be an eligible Kozminski University student.
- Have progressed to the next year without repeating a semester or year.
- Have monthly net household income per person of no more than PLN 3,500.
- Demonstrate social, academic or organizational activity.
- Submit income documentation and the scholarship application.
Priority is given to students who are not receiving the university’s regular social scholarship.
A maximum of three Opportunity Scholarships are available for 2026/2027, with applications accepted from October 1–31, 2026.
This is not formally a “low GPA scholarship,” but it is one of the clearer Polish university awards where financial circumstances and engagement matter more than maintaining an exceptionally high academic average.
2. University of Warsaw Social Scholarship
Students facing financial difficulties may also consider the University of Warsaw Social Scholarship.
For 2026/2027, the income threshold is:
PLN 2,099.70 net per month per person in the household.
The scholarship is designed for students in difficult financial circumstances rather than being awarded for high academic grades.
Applications for the winter semester opened on September 1, 2026.
Does GPA Matter?
The primary criterion is financial situation, not academic excellence.
Students must still satisfy general requirements concerning student status and maximum study duration, and international students should verify whether their legal residence status gives them access to this form of state-funded assistance.
This can make need-based support much more realistic than a Rector’s merit scholarship for a student with weaker grades.
3. AGH Social Scholarship for Eligible International Students
AGH University of Kraków also provides several forms of financial support to foreign students.
Foreign students who satisfy specified residence or legal-status conditions can apply for a social scholarship. Eligible categories include, among others, certain permanent residents, long-term EU residents, refugees and students meeting other conditions defined by Polish law.
The social scholarship is based primarily on financial circumstances rather than GPA.
For winter semester 2026/2027, the AGH deadline is October 5, 2026. The university states that 2026/2027 benefit amounts will be announced by October 20, 2026.
International applicants should confirm their individual eligibility before relying on this scholarship.
4. Emergency Financial Aid at Polish Universities
A student with a low GPA who encounters unexpected financial hardship should also investigate one-time financial assistance.
At AGH, for example, an allowance can be awarded when a student experiences a temporary difficult life situation, such as:
- Serious family circumstances.
- Natural disaster.
- War.
- Birth or adoption of a child.
- Other documented events causing serious financial hardship.
Academic excellence is not the main criterion.
This type of funding will not replace a full scholarship, but it can help an enrolled student handle an unexpected financial crisis.
5. Kozminski Master’s Scholarship: Strong Entrance Exam Can Help
Students applying for a Master’s degree should also look at scholarships where admission-test performance is weighted more heavily than previous GPA.
For Kozminski University’s Scholarship for the Best Students, Master’s applicants are ranked using:
- 90% entrance examination or scholarship-test result.
- 10% Bachelor’s GPA.
Applicants must achieve at least 90% of the maximum score on the relevant admission examination to enter the scholarship competition. The scholarship can cover 100% of tuition fees.
This is still a highly competitive merit scholarship—not a low-GPA scholarship—but a less-than-perfect Bachelor’s average has considerably less weight than the entrance exam.
Scholarships That Are Harder With Low GPA
Students should be realistic about traditional merit scholarships.
For example, at the University of Warsaw, grade-average points for the Rector’s Scholarship are calculated so that an average below 4.00 on the Polish grading scale receives zero GPA points. Scientific, artistic and sporting achievements can provide additional points, but competition remains strong.
At AGH, higher-year students applying for the Rector’s Scholarship generally need a GPA of at least 4.00 and/or qualifying scientific, artistic or sporting achievements.
Therefore, students with genuinely low grades should usually prioritize financial-need and special-circumstance funding instead.
What About Banach NAWA?
The Banach NAWA Scholarship is a major Polish Government Master’s scholarship, but it should not be advertised as especially friendly to applicants with low GPA.
For the 2026 competition, the substantive assessment allocated:
- Up to 70 points for the Bachelor’s academic average.
- Up to 30 points for the applicant’s self-presentation and educational plans.
- Up to 10 additional points for a recommendation from a Polish diplomatic or consular mission.
Grades therefore carry substantial weight.
Students with weaker results can still strengthen their profile through a convincing academic plan, but Banach NAWA should not be their only scholarship strategy.
How to Improve Your Chances With a Low GPA
Instead of applying only to prestigious merit scholarships, build a broader funding strategy:
- Target need-based funding where financial situation matters more than grades.
- Look for entrance-exam scholarships where you can demonstrate current ability.
- Highlight extracurricular achievements, including volunteering, entrepreneurship and university activities.
- Explain academic improvement if your recent grades are stronger.
- Use work experience and certifications for Master’s applications.
- Apply for funding after enrollment once you have established a better academic record in Poland.
- Check both university-wide and faculty-specific scholarships.
A lower previous GPA does not need to define your entire university career.
Final Thoughts
There are realistic scholarships for students with low GPA in Poland, but the strongest opportunities are usually not traditional academic excellence scholarships.
The Kozminski Opportunity Scholarship is particularly notable because it covers 90% of tuition fees and its published 2026/2027 requirements focus on financial need and student activity without specifying a minimum GPA.
Eligible international students can also investigate social scholarships at universities such as the University of Warsaw and AGH, while Master’s applicants may benefit from scholarships where entrance examinations carry more weight than previous GPA.
The best strategy is to avoid searching only for the phrase “low GPA scholarship” and instead target need-based funding, tuition waivers, hardship support and scholarships based on achievements beyond grades.
Official Sources
- Kozminski University – Scholarships and Discounts
- Kozminski Foundation – 2026/2027 Scholarships
- University of Warsaw – Social Scholarship
- University of Warsaw – Rector’s Scholarship
- AGH University – Financial Support for Foreign Students
- NAWA – Official Scholarship Programmes
