Doctoral allowance
PhD students whose studies are funded by the Estonian government, i.e. are studying at state-funded study places, are entitled to a PhD student allowance. This does not apply to the students of DoRa programme and to those studying at non-state funded study places.
The amount of the doctoral allowance is 660 EUR per month. In the autumn semester of the 2019/2020 academic year matriculated PhD students will receive the doctoral allowance 660 EUR + the doctoral students’ performance stipend 400 EUR. The stipends are renewed periodically based on the outcomes of PhD attestation reviews. There is no separate application for the allowance, it is taken care automatically, and the allowance is granted for whole academic year (from August to September).
PhD study allowance can be granted to students, who:
- are citizens of Estonia or reside in Estonia on the basis of a long-term or temporary residence permit or a permanent or temporary right of residence
- study full time or part time without the obligation to pay the tuition fee
- have successfully passed progress review in the academic year preceding the granting of allowance or are first-year doctoral students or are first year doctoral student.
The doctoral allowance of part-time doctoral students is 50 percent of the rate of the doctoral allowance established by state budget.
A doctoral student who is on academic leave at the time of granting doctoral allowance is granted the allowance from the calendar month following the end date of academic leave until the beginning of the next academic year. In case of an international doctoral student who has applied for the Estonian residence permit, the university has the right to grant doctoral allowance starting from the calendar month following the start of validity of the residence permit until the beginning of the next academic year.
Payment of doctoral allowance
The university pays the doctoral allowance for each month on the basis of a directive by the vice dean for academic affairs by the 20th of the calendar month and by 30 September for the month of September.
The payment of the doctoral allowance to a doctoral student who has gone on academic leave is terminated as of the calendar month following the last day of study. If a doctoral student who went on academic leave returns from academic leave in the same academic year in which the doctoral allowance was granted to the doctoral student, the payment of the doctoral allowance resumes as of the month following the end date of the academic leave.
If a doctoral student receives a negative evaluation in the progress review or fails to pass the progress review, payment of the doctoral allowance is terminated as of the calendar month following the progress review meeting.
If the doctoral student is deleted from the matriculation register, the payment of the doctoral allowance is terminated as of the calendar month following the deletion from the matriculation register. If a doctoral student is deleted from the matriculation register due to a negative result of the professional review or not passing the professional review, the last payment of the doctoral stipend is terminated as of the calendar month following the deletion from the matriculation register.