The delay concerns incentive scholarships, to which about 30 percent doctoral students are entitled. The money for this purpose comes from the so-called pro-quality grant.

According to information PAP received from the Jagiellonian University, the University of Warsaw and the University of Silesia, by the end of February the money had not appeared in university accounts.

Now, according to the Ministry, the transfer of funds has begun.

"Funds for payment of doctoral scholarships are now being transferred to the accounts of universities, with settlement for January 2013" - announced the press office of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

University of Silesia spokesman Jacek Szymik-Kozaczko told PAP that similar delay occurred last year, when the university received funds for pro-quality scholarships for doctoral students in April.

The Ministry of Science that the delay was due to the fact that some universities failed to provide complete information on the number of doctoral students in January. The Ministry calculates the amounts received by universities on the basis of the number of doctoral students on 31 December 2012.

Universities, which did provide complete data, also could not receive transfers. "The grant is transferred to all universities on the same basis and at the same time, and therefore there can not be a situation, in which some universities have received the money, and others have not" - explained the press office of the Ministry.

At the same time, according to the press office, funds not used in the previous financial year are available to the university. "Some universities could pay doctoral scholarships with unused funds from the pro-quality grant for the previous year. Universities are required to spend funds from last year\'s grant for the purpose for which they had been granted" - reads in the Ministry release.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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