Abstract:

The material help provided to students, which is supposed to reduce poverty and vulnerability as well as diminish their exposure to risks, is conditioned by legal acts. Polish universities, similarly to other state institutions, receive financial resources for this purpose from the budget. Within the legal framework, students can obtain financial support in the form of social and special scholarships, allowances for the disabled, rector’s scholarships for academic performance, grants and the minister’s scholarships for outstanding achievements in science or sport. Receiving a particular form of assistance depends on meeting formal criteria specified for each type of assistance.

The following article aims at analyzing the types of material support provided at PSW, a university in Biała Podlaska, their amount and impact on the students’ socio-economic situation in terms of satisfying their existential needs. It attempts to determine to what extent the financial aid provides students with security and diminishes their fears about the future.

To achieve the goal, the article presents quantitative research conducted in 2017 on a group of 884 students. It used a diagnostic survey in the form of a questionnaire containing closed questions. Students’ participation in the study was voluntary and based on a random selection. The study was carried out online in the period from 1 to 31 March 2017. The analytical part of the research involved the programme STATISTICA 10, which by using statistical tests determined the relationships between particular variables. In all the analyzed cases, the significance level was assumed at p <0.05, and statistically significant responses were marked with an asterisk (*).

As a result of the conducted research, it was found that financial support addressed to students is an essential element of improving their socio-economic situation. The dominant form of assistance in the examined group was the social scholarship, and, in students’ opinion, the criteria for awarding benefits are clear, objective and understandable. Accordingly, it has been proven that material aid can be both efficient and effective in enhancing students’ capacity to engage in the educational process.

Keywords:

Material help, students, university, efficiency of support.