1. General provisions
1.1 The Procedure lays down the conditions and process for applying for, awarding and paying the success scholarship and the scholarship for studies and research (hereinafter collectively referred to as “scholarships”) to the students and visiting students of Tallinn University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as “the university”).
1.2 For the purposes of the Procedure, “the success scholarship” means a university-funded scholarship intended to support and recognise first- and second-level students, who achieve outstanding academic results while studying with a full workload.
1.3 For the purposes of the Procedure, “the scholarship for studies and research” means future-oriented benefit awarded to students and visiting students, funded through state and non-state budget resources and aimed at supporting the acquisition of knowledge or skills, the development of competences and the promotion of creative or scientific activities. The purpose of payment of the scholarship must be directly related to the student’s studies and research and used for the scholarship recipient’s personal improvement.
1.4 A payment that recognizes or rewards any activity through which the payer acquires rights to a work, is not considered a scholarship. The scholarship cannot be awarded for an activity or work that has already been completed or carried out.
1.5 The Procedure does not apply to scholarships the awarding and payment procedures of which are governed by the relevant statute or any other document. If a donor has established terms and conditions for the awarding or payment of a scholarship that differ from this Procedure, the Procedure applies to the extent it does not conflict with the terms and conditions laid down by the donor.
2. Applying for and awarding the success scholarship
2.1 A student enrolled in bachelor’s, integrated bachelor’s and master’s, professional higher education or master’s studies has the right to apply for success scholarship through the study information system (hereinafter referred to as “SIS”) twice an academic year – in September and in February – beginning from the second semester of the academic year of his/her matriculation, provided the student meets the following criteria:
2.1.1 the student is a citizen of the Republic of Estonia or resides in Estonia on the basis of a long-term or temporary residence permit, has a permanent or temporary right of residence, or is staying in Estonia on the basis of a visa or visa-free, provided an agreement has been entered into with the foreign state for visa-free travel or the visa requirement has been waived for the citizens of that foreign state and the student has applied for a temporary residence permit for study;
2.1.2 he/she is a full-time student;
2.1.3 he/she completes the curriculum cumulatively to the full extent. The required study load is 30 ECTS credit points per semester. The completed study load does not include the study load gained through the accreditation of prior and experiential learning (APEL), except for degree courses completed elsewhere during the studies;
2.1.4 the student has not exceeded the nominal duration of studies of the study programme;
2.1.5 the student is not on academic leave;
2.1.6 the student has a grade point average of at least 4.0 for the entire study period.
2.2 To apply for a success scholarship, a student must submit an application through SIS by 30 September in the autumn semester and by 28 February in the spring semester.
2.3 The Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs shall determine the total number of success scholarship recipients in the Schools in proportion to the number of students enrolled and studying full-time as of 1 October and as of 1 March. The order shall be prepared by the Office of Academic Affairs.
2.4 To award a success scholarship, the Dean shall establish a committee that includes student representatives.
2.5 The success scholarship recipients shall be approved by the Dean or Vice-Dean, based on the proposal of the committee specified in clause 2.4 no later than 5 working days before the scholarship payment date specified in clause 4.2.
2.6 A ranking of the students who have applied for a success scholarship and meet the requirements specified in clause 2.1 is drawn up in SIS by School, based on the grade point average of the last semester of studies. If the student completed the last semester of studies specified above in an educational institution abroad, the grade point average shall be calculated based on the last semester of studies at the university.
2.7 If multiple students have the same grade point average for the last semester of studies, the overall grade point average for the entire study period will be considered first and then preference will be given to the applicant with a higher completion percentage of the study load required by the study programme.
2.8 The rankings for awarding the success scholarship shall not be made public.
2.9 The amount of the success scholarship is 200 euros per month, and it is granted for one semester (five academic months). The student will be informed of this in SIS.
3. Students enrolled in joint study programmes can only apply for the success scholarship in joint study programmes coordinated by the university.
4. Applying for and awarding the scholarship for studies and research
4.1 The head of the structural unit applying for the scholarship for studies and research (the authorised signatory) shall submit an application to the Dean. The applications shall be preserved in the Dean’s office for one (1) year from the date of submission of the application.
4.2 An application shall be submitted to the Dean no later than 5 (five) working days before the date of payment of the scholarship for studies and research.
4.3 The person appointed by the Dean shall verify the amount of the scholarship to be paid, the payment period, the correctness of the financing source, the student’s eligibility for the scholarship, and prepare the Dean’s (draft) order based on the application for payment of the scholarship for studies and research.
4.4 The scholarship for studies and research is awarded for a maximum of one (1) semester (five academic months), unless the Dean decides otherwise.
4.5 The scholarship for studies and research cannot be awarded during academic leave or if the student has been exmatriculated.
4.6 Decisions regarding the period of payment and the amount of the scholarship for studies and research are made by the Dean. The scholarship is paid based on the Dean’s order. The order is prepared based on the authorised signatory’s application for the payment of the scholarship for studies and research.
4.7 The application shall include:
4.7.1 the student code, the scholarship recipient’s first and last name;
4.7.2 the type of the scholarship (scholarship for studies and research);
4.7.3 the period for which the scholarship is awarded;
4.7.4 the amount of the monthly payment;
4.7.5 the scholarship recipient’s bank account number;
4.7.6 the code of the financing source;
4.7.7 the name of the structural unit;
4.7.8 the reason for payment of the scholarship (in compliance with clause 4.4 of the Procedure);
4.7.9 confirmation that the award of the scholarship for studies and research does not conflict with clause 1.4 of the Procedure, that the relevant financial resources have been planned in the budget of the structural unit/financing source, that the payment of the scholarship for studies and research to the recipient of the scholarship is legitimate, and that the scholarship recipient has been entered in the study information system.
4.8 An order for awarding the scholarship for studies and research shall include:
4.8.1 the scholarship recipient’s name, student code and bank details;
4.8.2 the financing source from which the scholarship will be covered;
4.8.3 the period of payment of the scholarship and the amount of monthly scholarship or one-off scholarship;
4.8.4 the reason for awarding the scholarship.
4.9 The amounts of the scholarship for studies and research awarded to multiple recipients under one order may vary. The differences arise from clause 4.2 of the Procedure, the available funds for the scholarship, the project/cooperation agreement, the scope of development of professional knowledge and professional pedagogical skills or research activities.
4.10 The maximum amount of the scholarship for studies and research per person must not exceed the total of two thousand (2000) euros from all the financing sources in a calendar month.
4.11 In case of the scholarship for studies and research, a calendar month is deemed to be a full month.
4.12 A recipient of the scholarship for studies and research must have no outstanding financial obligations to the university.
4.13 The scholarship for studies and research can be awarded to a full-time or part-time student or visiting student who may have exceeded the nominal duration of studies of the study programme.
5. Paying and terminating payment of the scholarship
5.1 The scholarships shall be paid to the scholarship recipient’s bank account based on the Dean’s order.
5.2 The success scholarship for the current month is paid on the last working day of the current month, except for the success scholarship for September and February, which is paid on the last working day of the month following the month concerned.
5.3 As a rule, the scholarship for studies and research is paid on the last working day of the current month.
Payment of the scholarship for studies and research must be justified. The scholarship for studies and research may be paid only for the following reasons:
5.4.1 to support research related to doctoral studies;
5.4.2 to support the successful defence of a doctoral thesis;
5.4.3 to support the completion of a master’s thesis within the framework of a project;
5.4.4 to support the improvement of professional knowledge and/or professional pedagogical skills;
5.4.5 based on a cooperation agreement concluded between the university and a third party/third parties;
5.4.6 to bachelor’s and master’s level students to promote studies and student life.
5.4 If a scholarship recipient is exmatriculated (except when completing the study programme) or goes on academic leave before the scholarship payment date specified in clause 4.2 or 4.3, the scholarship for the corresponding study month shall not be paid to the student and payment of the scholarship shall be terminated. If a student is exmatriculated in connection with the completion of the study programme, the scholarship for studies and research shall be paid to the student for an entire calendar month in which he/she was exmatriculated.
5.5 If a student takes academic leave after he/she has been awarded a scholarship, payment of the scholarship to the student shall be terminated, except in cases when the student completes the requirements of the study programme and is:
5.6.1 a person with a moderate, severe or profound disability, or
5.6.2 the parent or guardian of a child under 3 years of age or a disabled child, or
5.6.3 on academic leave due to military service or alternative service.
5.6 If it is determined that false information was provided to obtain a scholarship, the scholarship payment will be immediately terminated, and the university has the right to reclaim the scholarship.