Doctoral allowance

PhD students whose studies are funded by the Estonian government, i.e. they have a state-funded study place, are entitled to a PhD student allowance. This does not apply to students of the DoRa programme or to those with non-state funded study places.

A PhD study allowance can be granted to students admitted before academic year 2022/23 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 tuition fees
have successfully passed a progress review in the academic year preceding the granting of the allowance, or who are first-year doctoral students.

Payment of the doctoral allowance

The amount of the doctoral allowance is 660 EUR per month. In the autumn semester of the 2022/2023 academic year matriculated PhD students will receive the doctoral allowance of 660 EUR + the doctoral students’ performance stipend. The stipends are renewed periodically based on the outcomes of PhD attestation reviews. There is no separate application for the doctral allowance, it is awarded automatically and granted for whole academic year (from August to September).

The university pays the doctoral allowance for each month on the basis of a directive by the vice dean for academic affairs by the 25th of the calendar month and by 30 September for the month of September.

For an international doctoral student who has applied for an Estonian residence permit, the University has the right to grant the doctoral allowance starting from the calendar month following the start of validity of the residence permit until the beginning of the next academic year, or, if the international doctoral student was matriculated after the beginning of the academic year, for 12 calendar months from matriculation.

If a doctoral student receives a negative 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.

Granting and payment of the doctoral allowance during academic leave

Doctoral students who are on academic leave are not entitled to the doctoral allowance.

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 to the beginning of the next academic year.

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, the payment of the doctoral allowance resumes as of the month following the end of academic leave.

Granting and payment of the doctoral allowance for part-time studies

The doctoral allowance can be granted to part-time students who study without the obligation to pay tuition fees. The doctoral allowance of part-time doctoral students is 50 % of the rate of the doctoral allowance established in the state budget.

Payment in termination of studies

If a doctoral student is deleted from the matriculation register, payment of the doctoral allowance is terminated as of the calendar month following deletion from the matriculation register. If a doctoral student is deleted from the matriculation register due to a negative professional review or by not passing the professional review, the last payment of the doctoral stipend is terminated as of the calendar month following deletion from the matriculation register.

Simultaneous allowances

A student has the obligation to inform the faculty dean's office if he or she receives study allowance from the government of a foreign country, an international or inter-governmental organisation or a representation of a co-operation programme. The Estonian govenrmental study allowance cannot be granted togehter with such allowances.