"Wanted to study programming and AI in depth": How children of IT professionals enter colleges in Europe and how much it costs

«My son came to me himself and said: 'I intend to continue my education in Poland'»

Eugene*, frontend developer:

«My son approached me in March 2024 and said: 'I intend to continue my education in Poland.' There were several reasons for this.

First, he wanted to study programming and AI in depth, but his high school only offered physics and mathematics or chemistry and biology as specialized subjects. They didn’t even have an advanced English program, though they had one a couple of years ago.

Second, until 2023 he wasn’t eligible for military service, but they’ve changed the fitness criteria, and now he would have to serve. All the doctors we consulted with warned us: 'There’s a risk that he could return from the army blind.'

My son found someone on Instagram who helps Belarusians enroll in schools/colleges/technical schools in Poland. His services cost 600 zloty (about $150 at that time)—consultation plus document preparation. The «helper» interviewed my son to assess his level of Polish. It was zero, of course, since he had never studied the language. But he has good English—C1 level, and his GPA was 8.

We were told to gather all diplomas and certificates we had for the application: certificates from physics olympiads, creative competitions (my son plays the guitar), and IT course completion certificates. Then my son found a Polish tutor. He took lessons 2–3 times a week, which cost $15 per online session.

My son had 3 options: a lyceum in Warsaw and technical colleges in Warsaw and Białystok. The lyceum accepted him immediately—without an interview, based solely on his transcript and other documents. To get into the technical college in Warsaw, he needed to pass an in-person interview with the principal in Polish.

Besides the transcript, we needed a sworn translation, a translated birth certificate, and various forms and applications—each technical college had its own requirements.

Technical colleges don’t have dormitories, but in Poland there are city dormitories that students also apply to—requiring the same diplomas and certificates, plus documents proving the child has been accepted to a technical college.

We learned that our son was accepted to the lyceum in June—with that acceptance letter, he immediately applied for a Polish visa. Results from the technical colleges came only in August:

• the Warsaw college rejected him—considering his Polish insufficient;
• but he was accepted to the technical college in Białystok. We were advised to choose it over the lyceum since the technical college provides vocational education.

My son really enjoys his studies. His specialty is AI. Interestingly, after six months, we received a call saying a spot had opened at the Warsaw technical college—and my son could interview again. They also requested his grades from the first semester in Białystok—and ultimately accepted him starting in February.

Regarding finances: tuition at the Białystok college costs 260 zloty per month (this is a small portion, with the government covering the majority). Dormitory accommodation costs between 250 and 350 zloty per month, depending on activities and other factors. This included three meals a day—buffet-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but only on weekdays. On weekends, my son arranged his own meals.

Studying in Warsaw costs 500 zloty per month. Since all dormitories were full by February, we had to look for alternatives. My son was eventually accepted to a Catholic dormitory—accommodation there costs around 500 zloty per month. We pay for meals separately—10 to 20 zloty per meal. The total comes to about 1,500-1,600 zloty per month.

We hope that next year our son will be accepted into a city dormitory—which would be cheaper.

One more thing: until they turn 18, children must have guardians in Poland. We were offered one for 300 zloty per year. In reality, this is just someone who handles the paperwork. If you need a guardian who will visit the child upon request and attend parent-teacher meetings—that costs 800 zloty per year. Our guardian never attended any meetings—we handled everything online.

The college program lasts 5 years. Afterward, students can apply to universities on equal terms with Polish citizens—which is easier than applying from Belarus. By law, teenagers in Poland can work from age 16—our son does some projects and earns money.

«[Vocational] education is free, and language requirements are lower»

Olga, QA engineer:

«My son and my husband’s daughter study at technical colleges in Poland. We initially considered higher education there but then decided to explore secondary education options too. We discovered it’s free for foreigners, and the language requirements are lower than for university admission.

For 8-9 months during the school year, our children studied Polish since they needed at least an A2 level of Polish for admission. They worked with a tutor 2–3 times a week, with each lesson costing about 35 Belarusian rubles (BYN). Then the children took a test, and the teacher issued them certificates from her workplace.

Besides the certificate, the application required grades from the third quarter (we submitted the documents in April) and a character reference from school, which we had translated by a sworn translator.

My son decided to study computer engineering in Radom, while my husband’s daughter wanted to study tourism in Kielce. Both enrolled in Awans technical colleges because they admit students in June and have dormitories with meals and supervision for children.

We might have considered other options, but other colleges conduct enrollment in late July-August. Preference is given first to Poles, then to Ukrainians, and only afterward to other applicants. Additionally, not all institutions have dormitories, and not all provide guardians. So we would have had to find housing and a guardian (mandatory for minors).

The children like the conditions—everything except for supervision from educators and curfew, of course. The dormitory rooms are quite comfortable, arranged in blocks with a shared bathroom and kitchen for every two rooms. There are rooms for 1-2-3 people. Since living conditions vary, prices vary as well.

On average, we spend about $500 per month for each child. This includes dormitory costs and meals (mandatory for first-year students), as well as money for groceries, phone bills, and transportation passes.

The children also enjoy their studies. In the first semester, their academic performance dropped, but it has improved now—apparently, they’ve adapted and improved their language skills.

Our children are 16 years old. Soon my son will reach conscription age—we’ve discussed this within the family, but haven’t decided yet.

*Names have been changed.