Main funding principles

There is no overall or single model of adult education funding in Poland.

The main sources of funding for adult education:

Source: Author’s elaboration

Funding for public schools for adults and adult education and training institutions is part of the school education funding system.

Pursuant to the Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education (ustawa z dnia 14 grudnia 2016 r. – Prawo oświatowe), the following types of institutions provide continuing education: public and non-public schools for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools; non-school settings, including  public and non-public continuing education institutions and vocational  training centres, where adults can acquire and broaden their knowledge and skills and obtain and upgrade vocational qualifications; and public and non-public schools providing vocational education. 

Administering primary schools for adults is a statutory task of communes (the lowest-level local government unit). Districts (the level of local government above the commune) administer post-primary schools for adults, continuing education institutions and vocational training centres as their statutory task. Funding for education-related tasks of local government units (LGUs) comes from the amount for school education needs, specified in the annual Budgetary Act. The amount is distributed among LGUs according to an algorithm established in a Regulation by the minister responsible for school education. LGUs distribute the funds received among individual schools, including schools for adults.

In accordance with the Act of 27 October 2017 on the Financing of School Education Tasks (ustawa z dnia 27 października 2017 r. o finansowaniu zadań oświatowych), education in non-public schools and institutions is co-funded by grants from budgets of the competent LGUs. For the rules for awarding grants, see the section on school education above.

EU funds have recently gained in importance as a source of funding for adult education in non-school settings. The 2014-2020 financial framework included the Knowledge-Education-Development Operational Programme (POWER) Programme and regional operational programmes. The POWER Programme is still in operation as part of the 2021-2027 European Funds for Social Development.

Budgets of the relevant central government bodies are another source of funding for adult education and training for some occupational groups (for example, government officials, medical doctors, teachers).

Furthermore, labour offices have a major role in adult education and training. Pursuant to the Act of 20 March 2025 on the Labour Market and Employment Services (ustawa z dnia 20 marca 2025 r. o rynku pracy i służbach zatrudnienia) training courses organised by labour offices are among the main labour market services.

Heads of districts may either delegate the task of training provision to training institutions which they administer or select such training institutions, based on the principles of competitiveness, equal treatment and transparency, and conclude contracts with them. A training institution may be contracted to provide publicly funded training courses if it is included in the Register of Training Institutions kept by the regional labour office in the province where the institution is established.

For training courses to be organised, heads of districts should, for example, assess labour demand (occupations, specialisms and qualifications) and training needs of people who are eligible to benefit from training. They should also assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the training courses provided.

Courses for people who undertake training based on a decision of the head of a district are publicly funded, in particular, by the Labour Fund, and the European Social Fund or EU programmes. Funding covers the costs of courses incurred by training institutions but may also be used to cover the following types of costs:

• costs of travel, and costs of accommodation and meals if the course is delivered away from the participant’s place of residence;

• costs of medical examination and psychological assessment required by separate regulations;

• accident insurance costs;

• costs of exams leading to certificates, diplomas, specific vocational qualifications or occupational / job titles, and costs of licences necessary to practise a given occupation. 

Heads of districts also provide financial-aid grants to people sent to training; for details, see below. 

Heads of districts use the Labour Fund to cover the costs of training for unemployed people who undertake training based on a decision of a labour office. At the request of the unemployed, the head of a district may also cover partly the costs of a training course which they take on their own initiative if they demonstrate the usefulness of the course and if the part of the costs covered by the Labour Fund in a given year does not exceed 300% of the average wage.  

Furthermore, heads of districts may provide training vouchers to unemployed people aged under 30. Such a voucher guarantees that the unemployed will take a training course which they have chosen, and the related training costs will be covered. 

At the request of the unemployed, the head of a district may also:

• grant a Labour Fund loan to cover the costs of training. It is an interest-free loan which should be repaid within a maximum period of 18 months, and its amount may not exceed 400% of the average wage;

• cover the costs of a non-degree postgraduate programme up to the amount that does not exceed 300% of the average wage. Funds are transferred directly to the bank account of the programme provider. The head of a district also provides accident insurance for learners taking a programme if they do not have such insurance.

Support for taking training courses and non-degree postgraduate programmes is available to people who are registered in a labour office as the unemployed and, in some cases, as job seekers (for example, employees aged 45 and over).

Labour offices also organise practical placements/internships and vocational training for adults. 

Trainees receive a scholarship/financial-aid grant discussed in the next section of this chapter.

Furthermore, heads of districts reimburse, from the Labour Fund, the costs incurred by employers to organise vocational training for adults, based on an agreement and a training programme. This may include costs of materials, raw materials, use of machines and equipment, and workwear; the amount of costs reimbursed is determined on a case-by-case basis. An employer also receives a one-off bonus of PLN 400 (EUR 93.7) per trainee for each full month of the training programme delivered if the trainee sent by the head of a district has completed the programme and passed the relevant exam. 

As in the case of training courses, the head of a district may also cover the costs of medical examination and psychological assessment, exams and travel and accommodation for vocational training participants.

Moreover, the head of a district may provide a practical placement/internship voucher to the unemployed aged up to 30. Such a voucher guarantees that unemployed people will do a 6-month practical placement/internship at the employer’s organisation that they have chosen if the employer undertakes to employ them for 6 months after the completion of the placement/internship. 

The 2014 amendments to the Act on the Promotion of Employment and Labour Market Institutions established a National Training Fund (NTF) (Krajowy Fundusz Szkoleniowy). It is a separate pool which includes 2% of the revenues of the Labour Fund. The NTF aims to support both employers and employees. At the request of the employer, under an agreement, the head of a district may grant NTF funds to cover the costs of continuing education and training of employees and the employer. The table below shows co-funding levels.

Additional funding options, offered by the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled People (Państwowy Fundusz Rehabilitacji Niepełnosprawnych, PFRON), are available to support people with disabilities in upgrading their skills and qualifications.

People with disabilities who are registered in a district labour office as the unemployed or non-employed job seekers may benefit from labour market services and instruments in accordance with the rules laid down in the Act of 20 March 2025 on the Labour Market and Employment Services. People with disabilities registered as non-employed job seekers can, in particular, take a training course, practical placement/internship, vocational training course for adults or a non-degree postgraduate programme or receive a training or practical placement/internship voucher; the arrangements are the same as for the unemployed. Funding for such support measures comes from the Labour Fund (for those registered as unemployed) and the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of Disabled People.

Moreover, pursuant to the Act of 27 August 1997 on the Vocational and Social Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled People (ustawa z dnia 27 sierpnia 1997 r. o rehabilitacji zawidowej i społecznej oraz zatrudnianiu osób niepełnosprawnych), a labour office refers registered people with disabilities to training, the cost of which is covered by the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of Disabled People. 

The Voluntary Labour Corps (VLC) (Ochotnicze Hufce Pracy, OHP) have a major role in supporting young people, in particular those at risk of social maladjustment, and unemployed people aged up to 25. It performs tasks of the State related to the employment and prevention of marginalisation and exclusion of young people, and tasks in the area of education and training.

In the area of education and training, the VLC’s activities aim to enable young people who have not finished primary school or do not continue education upon finishing primary school to acquire vocational qualifications and complement primary education or complete a general and vocational education programme at the post-primary level. Thus, the VLC refer young people to school education institutions and, in some cases, schools for adults. The VLC may also provide training to people over the age of 18 in vocational training centres.

Pursuant to the Law on School Education, training grants are also available to employers who have concluded an employment contract with juvenile workers to provide them with vocational training/training for a specific job. An employer receives a grant if the juvenile worker has completed such training and has passed an exam.

The level of the training grant per juvenile worker is:

• for vocational training: up to PLN 10,824 (EUR 2,534.9) where the duration of training is 36 months, with a proportional reduction for a shorter period;

• for training for a shortage occupation: up to PLN 13,394 (EUR 3,136.8) where the duration of training is 36 months, with a proportional reduction for a shorter period;

• for training to do a specific type of work/job: up to PLN 340 (EUR 79.6) for each full month of training.

Grants are provided by the mayor of a commune, town or city which is the place of residence of a juvenile worker. Funding for the training of juvenile workers comes from the Labour Fund.

There are no regular surveys on private expenditure on education, in particular continuing education, in Poland.

Related legislation: 

• Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education, as subsequently amended (Ustawa z dnia 14 grudnia 2016 r. - Prawo oświatowe, z późn. zm.)

• Act of 27 October 2017 on the Financing of School Education Tasks, as subsequently amended (Ustawa z dnia 27 października 2017 r. o finansowaniu zadań oświatowych, z późn. zm.)

• Act of 20 March 2025 on the Labour Market and Employment Services (Ustawa z dnia 20 marca 2025 r. o rynku pracy i służbach zatrudnienia)

• Act of 27 August 1997 on Vocational and Social Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled People, as subsequently amended (Ustawa z dnia 27 sierpnia 1997 r. o rehabilitacji zawodowej i społecznej oraz zatrudnianiu osób niepełnosprawnych, z późn. zm.)

Fees paid by learners

In accordance with the Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education (ustawa z dnia 14 grudnia 2016 r. – Prawo oświatowe), education in public schools for adults is fee-free.

However, the learner self-government in schools for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools, post-secondary art schools and continuing education institutions may collect voluntary contributions and raise funds from other sources to support statutory activities of the school or institution. The learner self-government regulations, adopted by all learners, lay down rules for using such funds. Thus, in practice, school activities (except for staff salaries) may be co-financed by the learner self-government funds.

Non-public schools and non-school settings usually charge fees for education.

Schools, centres and other institutions may charge fees for continuing education provided in some non-school settings (vocational skills courses, general competence courses and other courses) where learners can acquire new and supplementary knowledge, skills and vocational qualifications.

The head of a school, centre or institution determines the level of fees in consultation with its administering body. Fees may not exceed the actual costs of training in a given setting.

Low-income learners may be fully or partially exempted by the head from paying fees. The head may also refund fees to learners in situations where due to an unforeseen event or health problems, they are unable to undertake training in a given non-school setting.

Labour offices run human resources development programmes where participants pay no fees for training. 

Some training courses supported by the EU funds are also tuition-free.

Tuition fees are charged to learners enrolled on non-degree postgraduate programmes in higher education institutions. The provider of a given programme sets the level of fees.

Related legislation:

• Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education, as subsequently amended (Ustawa z dnia 14 grudnia 2016 r. - Prawo oświatowe, z późn. zm.)

• Act of 20 March 2025 on the Labour Market and Employment Services (Ustawa z dnia 20 marca 2025 r. o rynku pracy i służbach zatrudnienia)

Financial support for adult learners

Due to the fragmentation of the adult education system, there is no unified system of financial support for adult learners.

Pursuant to the School Education Act of 7 September 1991 (ustawa z dnia 7 września 1991 r. o systemie oświaty), within the school education system, learners in public and non-public schools for adults are entitled to maintenance-type financial support (school grants and school allowances) and incentive-type financial support (grants and scholarships for learning and sporting achievements, the Prime Minister's scholarships, scholarships awarded by the ministers responsible for school education and for culture and national heritage). They may receive such benefits until the completion of education, but only until they reach the age of 24.

Local government units (LGUs) grant financial support benefits, funded from their budgets, as part of their statutory tasks. However, pursuant to the Act of 27 October 2017 on the Financing of School Education Tasks (ustawa z dnia 27 października 2017 r. o finansowaniu zadań oświatowych), maintenance-type benefits are co-funded by a targeted (specific-purpose) State-budget grant.

In accordance with the Act of 20 March 2025 on the Labour Market and Employment Services (ustawa z dnia 20 marca 2025 r. o rynku pracy i służbach zatrudnienia), aside from support to cover fees for training or a higher education programme and related costs, unemployed people may receive a scholarship-type grant from the Labour Fund for the duration of:

• a training course;

• an adult vocational training course;

• a non-degree postgraduate programme;

• a practical placement/internship;

• education in a post-primary school;

• a part-time degree programme in a higher education institution.

The amount of the grant for adult learners/trainees per month varies depending on the type of training and is equal to 20%, 100% or 120% of the basic unemployment benefit paid during the first 90 days of the entitlement to the benefit. The amount of the benefit (as set on 1 June 2025) is PLN 1,721.90 (EUR 403.25); thus, the grants range from PLN 344.38 (EUR 80.65) to PLN 2,066.28 (EUR 483.90) per month. 

In the case of a training course, the full grant amount is provided on condition that the minimum duration of training is 150 hours. Where the duration is shorter, the grant is proportionately reduced but may not be lower than 20% of the unemployment benefit.

If employees follow a programme in a school or further training at the request of the employer, they can receive financial and non-financial support from the employer.

Employees who are upgrading their vocational skills or qualifications retain the right to receive their salary and can be granted, in particular, training leave of:

• 6 days: for taking external exams, the maturity exam or exams leading to vocational qualifications;

• 21 days: in the final year of a degree programme, for preparing the final thesis and preparing for, and taking, the final exam.

An employee may also take a part of the day off or full day off in order to arrive in time for, and attend, compulsory classes.

The employer may grant additional benefits to employees who are upgrading their vocational skills or qualifications. In particular, the employer can cover fees for training and costs of travel, textbooks and accommodation.

An employee who participates in types of adult training other than those discussed above may also be granted a (part of the) day off (although with no right to remuneration) and non-paid leave, the duration of which is agreed between the employee and the employer.

Furthermore, juvenile workers who are required to undertake further training receive time off from their employer as necessary to participate in training.

Related legislation:

• School Education Act of 7 September 1991, as subsequently amended (Ustawa z dnia 7 września 1991 r. o systemie oświaty, z późn. zm.)

• Act of 27 October 2017 on the Financing of School Education Tasks, as subsequently amended(Ustawa z dnia 27 października 2017 r. o finansowaniu zadań oświatowych, z późn. zm.)

• Act of 20 March 2025 on the Labour Market and Employment Services (Ustawa z dnia 20 marca 2025 r. o rynku pracy i służbach zatrudnienia)

• Act of 26 June 1974, The Labour Code, as subsequently amended (Ustawa z dnia 26 czerwca 1974 r. Kodeks pracy, z późn. zm.)