Student subsidies
Working pupils - undergraduate and postgraduate students who are insured in EFKA (formerly IKA-ETAM) and work in companies, Social and Solidarity Economy bodies and in general private sector employers are entitled to an additional leave of 30 working days per year in addition to their normal unpaid leave, in order to participate in the written examinations of the school they attend.
Students over the age of 28 must present a certificate from their school stating the date of first registration. In this case, they are entitled to the leave of 30 days unpaid but for the prescribed years of study of each school plus 2 extra (n+2), i.e. 5 years + 2 (total 7) years if it is Polytechnic or Medical Schools and for other Schools 4 + 2 years (total 6 years) of study.
Α) Working pupils - students - undergraduate students who are insured in EFKA (formerly IKA-ETAM) and work in companies, Social and Solidarity Economy bodies and generally in private sector employers, in order to participate in the written exams of the school they attend for the prescribed years of study plus 2 additional (n+2)
B) Undergraduate students, of the EAP (regardless of age) only for the prescribed years of study and only for written exams at a place and time specified by the Hellenic Open University & must attend.
C) Postgraduate students who work in Greece and follow a postgraduate program (in Greece or abroad) for studies of up to 2 years, are entitled to 10 days of unpaid student leave per year only to participate in written examinations and not for presentations or teaching, etc.
D) In addition, the students of IEKs supervised by the State are also entitled to 30 working days of unpaid leave salaries. They are entitled to a leave of 30 days, those who participate in exams for the acquisition of a second degree and work only in the Private Sector.
Please note that :
- the days of leave may be intermittent or even continuous but always during the period close to the examination periodfor which they apply for the subsidy for the unpaid leave.
- There is no limit of seniority in the company for granting a student leave
- the working days and examination leave days must not exceed the days of their insurance by the employer until that time.
- Undergraduate students a) of the Hellenic Open University and b) of other University Institutions abroad are not entitled to a subsidy, when sending their applications online (remotedly i.e. the student leave subsidy is not paid to undergraduate students of the University of Cyprus or students in any other University Institution abroad, since the payment of fees only concerns students who attend courses in the Educational Institutions of Greece, in accordance with the legislative framework.
- The subsidy is not paid to postgraduate students who have exceeded 2 years of postgraduate studies.
- Students of various professional training study centers are not entitled to a subsidy.
- The Employment Manpower Organization does not subsidize the period of use of the normal leave taken to participate in the written examinations of the IEK or ATEI or University they attend.
In order for the subsidy to be paid to students, they must submit the necessary supporting documents no later than March 31 of the following year, from the year during which they used their student leave The submission of supporting documents is made to the Service (KPA2) of the Greek Public Employment Service of the region, where the business or the branch of the business they work belongs to and not to the place of residence of the potential beneficiary (pupil - student - undergraduate student - postgraduate student).
- Accompanying Documents
- Photocopy of Police Identity Card or Photocopy of Homogeneous Identity Card (both sides), for Greek and Homogeneous students respectively
- Photocopy of Passport and residence permit for foreign students
- National Bank Account (photocopy of the page on which the IBAN and the names of the beneficiaries), where the first name of the beneficiary appears or the IBAN of any bank, where the first name of the beneficiary appears. In this case, the beneficiary must file a solemn statement, where the beneficiary accepts any commission of the bank where he/she holds an account.
- The original accompanying documents requested are the following
- An employer's certificate with the company's logo, signed and stamped by the employer, where he must state the days of unpaid leave granted for the participation of the pupil / student in the written examinations of the school in which they are enrolled. If the company has branches and the beneficiary works in one of them, the certificate should state exactly which branch he works in, so that he can submit the supporting documents to the specific Service (KPA2) of the Greek Public Employment Service. In addition, the employer's certificate must state if the business operates on Saturdays.
- The student's individual insurance account, proving that he has no marks for the time he used this leave. It should be noted that the working days and examination leave days must not exceed - until then - the beneficiary's insurance days from the employer.
- Certificates from the IEK or ATEI or University must explicitly state that the pupil/student participated in the written examinations, as well as the exact dates of the examinations. The certificates will be signed and will bear the seal of the school. All IEK or ATEI or University certificates must be originals.
It should be noted that as of 1.5.2022, in accordance with Ministerial Decision No. 38866/2022 (Government Gazette 2030/B/21-04-2022) on Determination of the minimum wage and minimum daily wage for employees and artisans throughout the country, the new statutory minimum daily wage amounts to 31.85 Euros regardless of age, on the basis of which the beneficiary is subsidized according to his/her employment status (part-time or full-time), in combination with the number of days of insurance and of the days of student leave applied for subsidy and which is always unpaid by the employer.
It should be noted that as of 1.4.2023, in accordance with the Ministerial Decision No. 31986/2023 (Government Gazette 2003/B/28-03-2023) on Determination of the minimum wage and minimum daily wage for employees and craftsmen throughout the country, the new statutory minimum daily wage amounts to 34.84 Euros regardless of age.
L.1346/1983 (Government Gazette 46/A/14.4.83)
ΚΥΑ 31930/14.7.83 (ΦΕΚ 444/2.8.86)
ΚΥΑ 34651/29.11.96 (ΦΕΚ1122/Β/16.12.96)
ΚΥΑ 33894/7.12.98 (ΦΕΚ 1276/23.12.98)
Π.Δ. 483, Π.Δ. 174
Official Gazette 31930/14.7.83 (Official Gazette 444/2.8.86) Official Gazette 34651/29.11.96 (Official Gazette 1122/B/16.12.96) Official Gazette 33894/7.12. 98 (Government Gazette 1276/23.12.98) P.D. 483, P.D. 174). All KPA2 will accept handwritten applications with the necessary supporting documents submitted by working pupils - students. The submission method will be via e-mail and electronically scanning to the KPA2, where the company where they are employed belongs. In case the pupil/student submits the application to the KPA2 of his (the student's) residence, then the KPA2 receiving the application will send it by e-mail to the KPA2 of the company.
For this reason, the company's tax identification number is requested from the working pupil - student, as well as the postal address and the postal code of the company where he is employed. For the cases of applications filed by the student to the relevant KPA2 in order to obtain student leave to participate in the examinations, Circular 22096/20-3-2020 of the Employment Manpower Organization regarding the extension of all kinds of deadlines shall apply.
