Local media reports indicate that the Ministry has detailed plans for distributing the funds, which will be allocated to all 87 universities in Poland currently receiving state subsidies for student residences. This one-time payment will not impact existing subsidies.
Poland’s newly appointed Minister of Science and Higher Education, Dariusz Wieczorek, has revealed a proposal to allocate 150 million zloty (approximately $37.6 million) to upgrade and renovate university student residences.
Minister Wieczorek highlights that the Ministry aims to support the revitalization of dormitories, recognizing that 30 percent of their capacity remains underutilized due to suboptimal conditions.
Proposed funding
Local media reports indicate that the Ministry has detailed plans for distributing the funds, which will be allocated to all 87 universities in Poland currently receiving state subsidies for student residences. This one-time payment will not impact existing subsidies.
The proposed funding distribution plan entails allocating each university’s share based on the number of available dormitory spaces, with a maximum limit of 4 million zlotys (about $1 million) for a single institution.
Despite having approximately 1.2 million students, Poland’s dormitory capacity accommodates less than ten percent of them, which is below the European average of 13 per cent, according to real estate services agency CBRE.
The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange provides insight into the typical cost of accommodation in Poland’s dormitories. Monthly rates for a shared room typically range between €60 (about $66) and €80 (about $88), while a single room falls within the €100 (about $100) to €150 ($164) range.
Surge of international students
The count of international students at Polish universities has surpassed 100,000 for the first time, reaching 102,200 during the 2022/23 academic year, constituting approximately nine percent of the total student population in Poland.
According to Statistics Poland, when factoring in annual exchange students, the overall number of international students in Poland has reached 105,400.
This showcases an almost 18 percent increase compared to the preceding academic year, signaling a notable and rapid recent surge in international student enrollment.
The most extensive national contingent among international students in Poland consists of 48,700 Ukrainians. This figure has notably risen by over 12,000, indicating a potential connection to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Additional significant national groups encompass students from Belarus (12,000), Turkey (3,800), Zimbabwe (3,600), India (2,700), Azerbaijan (2,500), Uzbekistan (2,100), China (1,800), Kazakhstan (1,700), and Nigeria (1,600).
Top 6
Poland has clinched the sixth position among European countries for attracting the highest number of international students, according to a recent report by Project Atlas, a global research initiative focusing on student mobility.
The report showed that Ukrainians make up the majority of international students in Poland, accounting for 55.8 percent, followed by Belarusians at 13.9 percent. Zimbabwean nationals form the third-largest group among international students in the country, the Erudera reported.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom leads the list in Project Atlas, with international students comprising 25 percent of its student body. The Netherlands and France closely follow, with their international students representing 14 percent and over 13 percent, respectively.
