Announcement of the Vice Rector for Education of Lodz University of Technology on the settlement of Erasmus+ student mobility which has been cancelled, suspended or terminated ahead of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic issued on the basis of Ordinance No. 21/2020 of the Rector of Lodz University of Technology of 9 March 2020 regarding specific measures related to the prevention, combat and counteraction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus at Lodz University of Technology.
GENERAL PROVISIONS:
The financial settlement of student mobility is based on a residence certificate issued by the host institution.
SITUATION 1 - A STUDENT WENT ABROAD AND BECAUSE OF COVID-19 RETURNED TO THE COUNTRY
Individual support:
The student has the right to keep the scholarship for the time of education/placement at the university/partner institution from the date of commencement of education/placement until the suspension of traditional classes/placement. For example, if the mobility started on 1 January and was to last until 1 July and the university suspended classes on 15 March, the student is entitled to individual support for the period from 1 January to 15 March.
The student must return the remaining part of the grant, i.e. from the date of suspension of classes at the partner university/end of the placement abroad (in the example mentioned above for the period from March 16th to July 1st), if all three of the following conditions are met in the case of studies or two in the case of placement:
· The student does not plan to return to the partner university/institution when it is reopened;
· the student, despite the partner university offering online learning, does not use it - not for placement trips
· The student does not incur any mobility costs (e.g. for accommodation abroad) even if he/she is back in the country.
If the student, despite his return to the country, is still obliged to bear costs, e.g. for accommodation, which could not be recovered, i.e. the evidence presented by the student shows that the period of bearing the aforementioned costs is longer than the period of stay abroad confirmed by the partner institution - this is a case of "force majeure" and the university must have the permission of the National Agency to settle such costs. In this situation, the student, after obtaining the consent of the National Agency, will be entitled to individual support at lump sum rates for each month for which he/she bears the aforementioned costs.
Travel:
If the student has not previously purchased a ticket to return to Poland resulting from the date of completion of the mobility, as stipulated in the financial agreement between the university and the student, it is not possible to recognise the cost of the ticket purchased due to COVID-19, as the student's mobility costs are covered by a grant received under individual support (KA103 - programme countries) or a lump sum for travel (KA107 - partner countries).
If the student has a return ticket to Poland (e.g. for the 1st of July), the university will only be able to recognize the cost of purchasing an additional ticket due to COVID-19 if the student is not able to cover such a cost from the received/subsidy amount. To settle the cost of the additional ticket, the flat rates resulting from the distance calculator will apply, not the actual costs. The costs of purchasing an additional ticket will be verified on the basis of:
· proof that the costs previously incurred for the purchase of the return ticket have not been recovered in any form,
· evidence that the student was not able to cover the cost of the additional ticket from the scholarship received/due.
SITUATION 2 - THE STUDENT HAS GONE ABROAD, SUSPENDED HIS OR HER MOBILITY AND HAS NOT/ CANNOT RETURN TO THE COUNTRY
Individual support:
The student has the right to keep the scholarship for the time of education at the partner university/professional practice at the host institution from the date of commencement of the education/professional practice until the suspension of the traditional form of classes/ suspension of the practice. For example, if the mobility started on 1 January and was to last until 1 July this year and the university suspended classes/placement on 15 March this year, the student has the right to individual support for the period from 1 January to 15 March this year.
The student will also be entitled to receive financial support for the time of education at the partner university/placement at the institution from the date of resuming traditional classes/placement until the end of mobility.
For the "break" period, participants may apply for a grant, if:
· plan to continue their mobility at the partner university/institution when it is reopened and, in the case of studies, participate in online activities, if offered;
· they cannot return to Poland due to restrictions imposed by the authorities of the country where they are staying.
After considering the situation of each student individually, the university will inform the grantee in advance about the amount of the calculated/due subsidy.
SITUATION 3 - THE STUDENT HAS NOT YET GONE ABROAD, BUT HAS BORNE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ORGANISING HIS OR HER TRIP
Recognition of costs will only be possible if, before the date of commencement of the mobility of the grant holder, a formal document was signed which gave the student the right to start organising the mobility (e.g. a financial agreement with the university, "Study/placement programme agreement"). (LA) signed by three parties, nomination confirmed by the host institution).
A student may apply for reimbursement of travel expenses, provided that he or she submits documentation to his or her home university showing that he or she has incurred expenses and that no form of recovery has been possible.
The flat rates resulting from the distance calculator and not the actual costs apply to the settlement of the ticket cost.
Other non-refundable costs related to the organisation of a trip that has been cancelled (e.g. deposit for the student dormitory, visa, insurance) may be covered in part by the organisational support of the university.
A student applying for recognition of the above described costs is obliged to reimburse the additional financial support received from the Polish Social Security Office in the amount of 250 euro (if received).
PLEASE NOTE:
A semester of study is accounted for as a semester of study at a foreign university if the student obtains a minimum of 50% of the sum of ECTS credits provided for this period in the Learning Agreement for Studies (part Before the mobility) at the foreign university. For a higher number of credits than 30 ECTS credits approved in the Learning Agreement for Studies (part Before the mobility), it is agreed that 15 ECTS credits are the minimum number to be recognised as a semester of study in a foreign institution.
Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwik, DSc, PhD, MSc,
Vice Rector for Education
Head of the TUL Crisis Management Centre