Banach NAWA Scholarship 2027: Polish Aid Master's Award
A joint MFA–NAWA development programme for full-time second-cycle studies in Polish or English at Minister-supervised HEIs. Last official call: no. 16/2026; the 2027/28 call is not yet published.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The last official call was no. 16/2026 of 13 April 2026, for studies or the preparatory course from the winter semester 2026/27. It closed on 8 May 2026 and the results are published: NAWA reported 887 applications and 130 laureates from 25 countries. The 2027/28 Banach call has not been announced as of 6 October 2026; the 2025 call came on 6 June 2025 and the 2026 call on 13 April 2026, so a spring 2027 announcement is likely but not confirmed. Groups and caps may change.
What Banach offered in 2026/27
From the programme page and call 16/2026:
- Monthly scholarship of PLN 2,500
- Exemption from tuition fees at public universities
- One-year preparatory course funded by NAWA (Polish track)
- Travel allowance of PLN 2,500
- Studies in Polish or English
- Polish language and culture course (English track)
The goal is the socio-economic development of developing countries through education, funded from the state-budget development-cooperation reserve. Contact: banach@nawa.gov.pl.
Four country groups (16/2026)
Each group had its own cap: 300 applications in each of groups 1–3 and 200 in group 4, or 8 May 2026 at 15:00 Warsaw time — whichever came first. Do not add countries.
| Group (cap) | Countries |
|---|---|
| Group 1 (300) | Albania, Argentina, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Kosovo, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, Ukraine |
| Group 2 (300) | Armenia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Vietnam |
| Group 3 (300) | Angola, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia |
| Group 4 (200) | Azerbaijan, Nigeria |
Paths — chosen once, kept
Polish path A: preparatory course, then studies
A one-year NAWA preparatory course, then second-cycle studies. The course deepens Polish and subject knowledge, and NAWA assigns the centre by field and places. In the 2026 cycle you applied to the university for 2027/28 while on the course. Polish at least B1 at NAWA application. The admission-contact attachment is not required.
Polish path B: studies in Polish
Direct second-cycle studies in Polish (no preparatory course). Polish at B2. Admission-contact proof required.
English path
Second-cycle studies in English plus a Polish language and culture course (September/October 2026, on-site or online). English at B2. Admission-contact proof required. The first stipend was paid from September 2026 if the course was on-site.
Scoring (16/2026)
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| GPA, converted (average × 70 / scale maximum) | 0–70 |
| Video justification: goals and prior activity; why this field in Poland; expected impact | 0–30 |
| Optional recommendation from a Polish mission | 0–10 |
| Maximum | 110 |
The pass mark was 70 in total, including at least 50 on GPA and at least 20 on the video. Below the GPA floor, criterion 2 was not scored. Awards then followed country vacancy limits set by the assessment team (foreign-policy and development-cooperation goals), with redistribution possible if a country limit was not filled. Results were due by 31 July 2026, and the agreement had to be concluded within 45 days.
Official: programme page, EN PDF of call 16/2026, portal.
Banach-only checker
Based on call 16/2026 wording. The next cycle may change groups and caps.
0 of 6 answered
- 1Citizenship is one of the 36 Polish Aid countries listed in 16/2026?
- 2You know which of the four application groups your citizenship sits in?
- 3You will pick one binding path: Polish (prep + studies, or studies) or English (studies + culture course)?
- 4You do not already hold a second-cycle / uniform Master's (unless your system has no two-cycle structure)?
- 5You can record a 1–3 minute self-presentation with no third parties?
- 6You will submit early, because groups 1–3 closed at 300 applications and group 4 at 200?
The Banach 2026/27 shape fits. Watch for the next call and check that your country and group are unchanged.
This is not the Banach door — or a published rule is missing. Compare with Poland My First Choice and the eligibility page.
Banach file checklist
Progress: 0% (0 of 6). Planning tool, not a NAWA decision.