Polish Ministry of Education to curb enrollment for student status benefits

Poland's Ministry of Education has identified a problem where young people enrol in post‑secondary schools and universities solely to obtain the legal status of student or pupil. That status grants benefits such as exemption from ZUS (social security) contributions for contracts, a zero‑PIT tax allowance, reduced health‑insurance contributions, travel discounts and other concessions for people up to 26 years old. Critics call the enrolments “ghost students”, noting cases like a 25‑year‑old who attended a vocational school only twice but kept the status long enough to avoid ZUS payments.

The ministry plans to amend the law on financing educational tasks to stop automatic subsidies to schools that profit from mass enrolments with little attendance. It also aims to address the misuse of free internships that employers exploit. The proposals are currently at the ministerial level and have not yet become law. Schools such as Żak and Cosinus, which operate large networks of adult vocational programmes, are among those highlighted for their high registration rates and low class attendance.

If adopted, the changes would tighten eligibility for student benefits, requiring genuine participation in education and reducing financial incentives for strategic enrolments.