Specialisation stipend
The purpose of the specialisation stipend is to motivate students to study full time in the areas of priority for Estonia. There are four types of specialisation stipend: IT Academy specialisation stipend, specialisation stipend funded by European Regional Fund (ERF), teacher training specialisation stipend and specialisation stipend funded by the Information Technology Foundation for Education (HITSA) for students of teacher of mathematics and informatics. Teacher training specialisation stipend and teacher of mathematics and informatics specialisation stipend is only for native speakers.
Specialisation stipend (IT Academy)
The specialisation stipend is funded by the IT Academy Programme and can be applied by the students enrolled in the bachelor or master’s programme of Computer Science or the master’s programme in Software Engineering.
Specialisation stipend
The purpose of the specialisation stipend is to motivate students to study full time in the areas of priority for Estonia.
A student is eligible to apply for the specialisation stipend from the first semester of his/her matriculation year, if he/she:
… is a citizen of Estonia or resides in Estonia on the basis of a long-term or temporary residence permit or a permanent or temporary right of residence or reside in Estonia with a long-stay visa or without a visa if there is an agreement with the foreign country for visa-free movement or the citizens of the foreign country are exempt from visa and have applied for a temporary residence permit for studies;
... is a full-time student;
... is not on academic leave;
... has not exceeded the standard period of study of the curriculum;
... has completed the curriculum cumulatively at least 30 credit points per semester;
… is enrolled at bachelor’s level programmes in Computer Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Gene Technology, Computer Science, Chemistry; or at master’s level programmes in Robotics and Computer Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedicine, Physics, Gene Technology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Mathematical Statistics, Software Engineering, Materials Science and Technology, Molecular Biosciences; or at professional higher education studies in Information Technology Systems Development.
The students need to keep in mind that completion of the curriculum means completing the courses of a particular study programme, not just any courses. Optional courses are included, but not exceeding the volume foreseen in the particular study programme. The extent of completion of the curriculum is accounted for as of the date preceding the start of the semester of application. The completion of the curriculum recognises the study results taken into account on the basis of the RPL decision in the semester of the RPL decision and the study results taken into account on the basis of a study plan in the semester the study results are submitted.
Specialisation stipend is 160 euros per month at:
A group curricula: master’s studies in Robotics and Computer Engineering, professional higher education studies in Information Technology Systems Development, master's studies in Materials Science, master's studies in Materials Science and Technology. B group curricula: bachelor’s studies in Computer Engineering, master's studies in Biomedicine, bachelor's studies in Physics, Chemistry and Materials Science, bachelor’s and master's studies in Gene Technology, bachelor’s and master's studies in Computer Science, master's studies in Mathematics and Statistics, master's studies in Software Engineering, master's studies in Molecular Biosciences.
The specialisation stipend is granted to up to 50 percent of students in the A group curricula and up to 30 percent of students in the B group curricula.
Specialisation stipends are allocated twice a year: for autumn semester (September until January) and spring semester (February until June). Application needs to be submitted at the beginning of each semester in SIS (ÕIS) in autumn semester: between 1 September and September 30 and in spring semester: between February 1 and February 29.
There is one application form for ERF funded specialisation stipend and IT Academy specialisation stipend in the SIS. Students enrolled in the bachelor or master’s programme of Computer Science or the master’s programme in Software Engineering automatically apply for both ERF funded specialisation stipend and IT Academy specialisation stipend when they submit an application in SIS.
Also the students of first semester must submit the application for the specialisation stipend in SIS. In the autumn semester, specialisation stipend is granted on the basis of the ranking list of applying for admission to the University. At the bachelor’s level - in the case of equal competition points preference will be given to students of higher result in the state examination in mathematics or in the entrance examination.
In the next semesters, the applicants will be ranked based on their last semester’s weighted average grade over all study results throughout the period of study.
If multiple applicants have equal results, preference will be given to an applicant:
- who has a higher weighted average grade over all study results throughout the period of study;
- who has cumulatively completed the curriculum to a greater extent;
- who has had fewer negative results throughout the entire period of study;
- who has attained outstanding results in their field, successfully participated in professional competitions or contests or who is socially active. The commission has the right, where necessary, to request from a student documents and data that allow for assessment of the student’s outstanding results in the field of study and their social activities.
The payment of specialisation stipend, 160 euros per month, will be paid by the date of 10th in each month and the payment is for the previous month (for September the payment will be made by October 25 at the latest and for February the payment will be made by March 25 at the latest). The payment of specialisation stipend will be terminated if a student has taken an academic leave, except in the following cases:
- the student completes the curriculum and has a moderate, severe or profound disability;
- the student is a parent or guardian of a child of less than three years of age;
- the student is a parent or guardian of a disabled child of less than 16 years of age;
- the student is on academic leave due to military service or alternative civilian service.
In the case of academic leave, the last payment will be made for the full study month preceding the beginning of academic leave.
If the student is deleted from the matriculation register, the payment of the specialisation stipend is terminated. The last specialisation stipend in curricula specified above is paid for the month of study preceding the deletion from the matriculation register.
A student to whom the IT Academy scholarship has been granted, cannot be granted with the specialisation stipend funded by the European Regional Develompent Fund.