Study Allowances
Basic allowance
The basic allowance can be applied for by a student:
- who is a citizen of Estonia or resides in Estonia on the basis of a permanent or temporary residence permit;
- who has higher education in a curriculum where there are state-funded student places;
- who studies full-time;
- who is not on academic leave;
- whose period of study has not exceeded the standard period of the curriculum.
Please note: The student is required to inform the dean's office of the faculty or the college office about receiving a study allowance from a foreign government, international or intergovernmental organisation or cooperation programme representation. Such a student is not entitled to the state study allowance at the same time.
The size of the basic allowance in the 2012/2013 academic year is EUR 55.93 per month.
Students studying in a state-funded or non-state-funded student place can apply for the allowance, but the amount of money depends on the number of state-funded student places. (The basic allowance coefficient is 0.4 – the allowance funds are sufficient for app. 40% of the number of state-funded student places.)
First-year students cannot apply for the basic (or additional) allowance in the autumn semester (also applicable to Master’s studies).
The basic allowance is granted twice per academic year: for the autumn semester (September-January) and the spring semester (February-June). An application for the basic allowance is submitted only once for the standard period of study. The application is student place-based; if you study in multiple student places, you need to submit an application separately for each place.
The application must be submitted in the Study Information System:
- in the autumn semester from 1-30 September;
- in the spring semester from 1-28 February.
The ranking lists for receipt of the basic allowance (and additional allowance) are drawn up separately for each curriculum. A single ranking list of students of different years of study is drawn up (except for students of medicine). In the curriculum of medicine the ranking list is drawn up separately for students in years 1-3 and 4-6.
The ranking list is drawn up on the basis of, above all, the percentage of completion of the volume of study. This percentage is based on the calculated volume of study: in the first year the calculated volume of study is 60 ECTS; in the second year 120 ECTS; and 180 ECTS in the third year. Students who have completed 100% or more of the volume of study are considered equal in the ranking list drawn up for the granting of the allowance.
If the percentage of completion of the volume of study is equal, the students whose weighted average grades are higher are given preference. The average weighted grade covering all results in the previous semester is taken into account between 21 February 2011 and 11 September 2011 in the autumn semester and between 12 September 2011 and 19 February 2012 in the spring semester of the 2011/2012 academic year.
If in the semester preceding the granting of the study allowance the student was on academic leave and completed at least 15 ECTS of courses in the semester, the courses completed during academic leave are taken into account and the weighted average grade of the previous semester is viewed on the basis of all study results.
If in the semester preceding the granting of the study allowance the student was on academic leave and completed fewer than 15 ECTS of courses, the weighted average grade of the entire study period is taken into account.
The weighted average grade of the entire period of study is also taken into account if there are no study results or the student has not been graded using a differentiated grading scale.
If the average grades are equal, an applicant who has achieved outstanding results in the area of study, is socially active or has successfully participated in professional competitions.
If in the latter event multiple applicants have equal results, the applicant whose income in the year preceding application was lower is given preference.
For information on the ranking of applicants for the study allowance, contact your faculty’s dean’s office or college office.
The committee decides on the granting of the basic allowance by October 10 in the autumn semester and March 10 in the spring semester. The study allowance is paid by the 20th of each month of study (except the September allowance, which is paid in October, and the February allowance, which is paid in March). The payment of the allowance is terminated as of the month of study following the last day of study of a student who has applied for academic leave.
Doctoral Allowance
PhD students whose studies are funded by the Estonian government, i.e. are studying at state-funded study places, are entitled to a PhD student allowance. This does not apply to the students of DoRa programme and to those studying at non-state funded study places.
The doctoral allowance can be sought by doctoral students who are citizens of the Republic of Estonia or who reside in Estonia on the basis of a residence right or a permanent or temporary residence permit and are full time students.
The amount of the doctoral allowance is 384.47 EUR per month.
There is no separate application for the allowance, it is taken care automatically, and the allowance is granted for whole academic year (from August to September). PhD students who are on academic leave at the time of granting doctoral allowance shall be granted the allowance from the study month following the finishing date of academic leave until the beginning of the next academic year. For more information, please see the document about terms and procedure for granting allowances.