The Doctoral Scholarship at the Doctoral School in the Republic of Poland as a Way to Ensure a Decent Support for a Clergy Doctoral Student

Abstract

Directing clerics to specialised studies, in the country or abroad, is connected with the necessity to provide the student priest with adequate funds to cover the fees at the university, for board, lodging, social insurance and educational aids. If, for this purpose, the diocesan bishop does not obtain an external scholarship, the financing of studies is charged to the diocesan fund, often in a significant way.

The reform of higher education in the Republic of Poland introduced by the Act of 20 July 2018, the Law on Higher Education and Science, in the field of doctoral studies has introduced doctoral schools in which doctoral students receive doctoral scholarships. It is also available to clergy doctoral students throughout their education at the doctoral school for a maximum of four years. The monthly doctoral scholarship shall be at least 2371,70 PLN up to the month in which the mid-term evaluation was conducted and 3653,70 PLN after the month in which the mid-term evaluation was conducted. In addition, the amount of the scholarship may depend on additional factors, including on the achievements of a clergy doctoral student. The doctoral scholarship at the doctoral school therefore significantly contributes to ensuring a decent support for a clergy doctoral student. It is also a serious relief to the diocesan fund.