Who can go?
Any WSPA student with an active student status (not on Dean’s leave or struck off the list) can become an Erasmus+ scholarship holder at WSPA. Additional requirements:
What countries can you travel to?
As an Erasmus+ scholarship holder, you can go to universities in the following countries (provided WSPA has a cooperation agreement with them): EU member countries – Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden; European Economic Area countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; and additionally: Turkey, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia.
What universities can you go to for part of your studies?
Student exchanges under the Erasmus+ program can be carried out by universities with a valid ECHE card and signed inter-institutional agreement with each. You can plan to go for part of your studies to a foreign university that has an Erasmus+ agreement with WSPA. You can take part of your studies only at a faculty that educates in the same field you are studying, or possibly in a related field. You may go to a University of your own choice provided that it has a valid ECHE card and agrees to accept, sign inter-institutional agreement with WSPA, and provided that you meet all WSPA conditions necessary to qualify for the mobility.
For how long can you leave?
For a period of 3 to 12 months. The university should send its students for a period of time that represents a certain closed part of the study program that is easily completed, such as one semester. A stay abroad under Erasmus+ can also be divided into 2 separate trips within 2 different semesters to 2 different partner universities. The exact start date of studies at the partner university abroad may vary depending on the country and the university. The period of study abroad under the Erasmus+ Program is considered an integral part of study at the home university and should not extend the overall study time.
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
The pool of 12 months includes all months spent abroad as part of Erasmus+, both internships and studies, regardless of the university from which the person is leaving! If you are studying at 2 universities at the same time, the limit remains the same (12 months during the entire period of study at a given level) – the length does not increase for more universities. The rule is fixed – up to 12 months during undergraduate studies and again up to 12 months during graduate studies.
Where to apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship?
You can apply for an Erasmus+ mobility for studies only at your home university. Universities receive funding for student mobilities and independently recruit and evaluate candidates, organize and pay scholarships. Detailed information about mobilities for study can be found on in our website. In case of additional questions you can send an email to internationaloffice@wspa.pl, contact us via phone: +48 81 45 29 468 or come directly to the university’s Erasmus+ coordinator in the International Office (room 104a).
What documents do I need to fill out before leaving on an Erasmus+ scholarship?
Before departure, student must complete the following documents:
What is a grant and learning agreement?
Learning Agreement is an agreement between the student, the host university and the home university that specifies the program of courses the student will attend at the host university and the number of ECTS credits for each subject. The agreement lists the subjects student must complete at the foreign university in order to have it recognized by WSPA and credit the period of study. The agreement must be signed by all three parties before the student leaves. Student prepare this document in OLA system: https://learning-agreement.eu/ In addition to the Learning Agreement, student must sign grant agreement with WSPA, which specifies in detail the conditions of departure, duration of stay at the partner university, the amount of scholarship, the method of its payment, the deadline by which you must settle accounts with your home university, etc. The student is obliged to fulfill all points of the agreement, signed with WSPA before going abroad.
What type of insurance is recommended?
Each Erasmus+ scholar is required to take out insurance before departure in the following areas: medical expenses (KL) and accident insurance (NNW). Basic health insurance is guaranteed by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued free of charge by the National Health Fund (NFZ); remember that the card is valid only in European Union countries and covers only part of the benefits related to medical treatment. You can find detailed information on the NFZ website. Some foreign universities require Erasmus+ scholarship recipients to purchase mandatory insurance on the spot. To avoid double expenses, find out before you leave what formalities you will need to complete at your host university.
Will the period of study abroad be accepted by the home university?
WSPA guarantees recognition of the period of study abroad, based on the application of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). The home university is obliged to recognize the period of study spent at the partner university as equivalent to the period of study at the home university, on the condition that the student completes the Learning Agreement and fulfil other requirements agreed before departure, confirmed by the Transcript of Records provided in due time. The host university does not have the right to charge incoming exchange students any tuition fees (e.g., registration fees, tuition fees, exam fees, etc.). The decision on crediting the student with the period of study completed at host university is made by the Dean. The home university credits period of study abroad on the basis of a “transcript of records” issued to the student by the receiving university and on the basis of document, specifying the start and end day of the stay. The ECTS grades obtained by the student and confirmed in the “transcript of records” will be transcribed into grades used at the home university, in accordance with the rules of the ECTS system. Upon return, the formalities related to the recognition of credits are handled by the competent authorities of the home university.
What is the recruitment and eligibility of students for Erasmus+?
Recruitment of students to participate in the Erasmus+ program takes place twice a year. It is based on:
If a student has participated in the Erasmus+ Program at WSPA before, the degree of fulfillment of the program requirements during the previous mobility is also taken into account – the number of ECTS obtained, in the case of an internship – opinion of the supervisor, punctuality of settling the documents, etc.
A set of documents should be submitted to the International Office coordinator. The University Eligibility Committee conducts the qualification procedure and prepares a list of candidates for study abroad. The student has the right to appeal to the Erasmus+ Program Coordinator of WSPA against the decision of the UKK within 14 days of receiving the decision, to the following address: internationaloffice@wspa.pl
What are the terms of financing?
A person qualified for the program receives scholarship from the home university. Countries participating in the Erasmus+ program are divided into three groups depending on the cost of living. The monthly scholarship rate for each group:
Exact amount of scholarship is calculated by the Beneficiary Module system. The system calculates it per day of the physical mobility plus 2 days for travel plus additional amount as contribution in travel costs. The amount of the later depends on the distance from Lublin to the city of the host university, calculated by the distance calculator tool: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/distance-calculator). The contribution is in the amount of 28EUR (from 10 to 99km), 211EUR (from 100 to 499km), 309EUR (from 500 to 1999km), 395EUR (from 2000 to 2999km). Those students who decide to travel by low emission vehicles such as bus/coach, train or car-pooling may apply for higher contribution to travel costs, so called “green travel”, in amount of (accordingly): 56 EUR, 285EUR, 417EUR, 535EUR. In order to receive a grant from the Erasmus+ program, the student is required to open a bank account maintained in EUR and maintain it, at least until the mobility is fully settled. Operational costs associated with the transfer of funds to the personal account indicated by the student are covered by WSPA. Payment of the scholarship in the form of a bank transfer is made in two installments. First installment is paid up to one week before the planned date of departure for study abroad (the amount of the first installment is 80% of the total scholarship awarded), the second installment is paid after the student has fully accounted for the trip abroad (both formally and substantively). If the stay is shortened in relation to the length of the study abroad planned in the grant agreement, the scholarship is reduced by the amount automatically calculated by the system based on the number of days not completed in accordance with the agreement. If study period is extended (the desire of extension should be reported at least one month before the planned end of the existing study, in order for WSPA to confirm that it has free funds), the final scholarship amount is increased. The basis for determining the exact amount of the second installment is the confirmation of the length of stay issued by the university after the end of study exchange.