How to properly sign the contract?

Within 20 days of the publication of the list of approved loans, the fund will send you the loan agreement signed by the fund's director in two copies (one copy is for the fund, and the other copy is for you as the borrower). The copy intended for the fund must be signed before a notary or at the registry office* - your signature must be officially certified. You must then send it or deliver it personally to the address of the Fund for Support of Education, no later than 45 days from the receipt of the contract.

You may authorize another person to conclude the contract for the stabilization loan, provided that such authorization is submitted together with the signed stabilization loan agreement. Otherwise, the fund will consider the stabilization loan agreement invalid. Your signature on the authorization must be officially certified.

*in the Czech Republic, your signature will be verified by the Slovak diplomatic mission or the honorary consulate of Slovakia, or by the relevant authority abroad through the apostille certification.

When will the contract be published?

As soon as we receive your contract back, we will check if any changes were made and verify the validity of the signature. If the contract is in order, we will anonymize it and publish it in the Central Contract Register (a requirement under the law). Once published, the contract will be effective the following day, which triggers the disbursement of the loan.​

When will the loan be paid to you?

The fund is obligated to pay you the loan no later than 14 days from the effective date of the contract. The payment process is set up so that every Monday, we process the payments for the contracts published during the previous week.​

Deferment of payments
​
1. Deferment of payments according to § 13, paragraph 3 of the Fund Act

The deferment of payments according to §13d paragraph 3 letters a) to d) of the Fund Act applies only to students who have not yet completed another higher education degree at the second level. During the deferment of payments according to §13d paragraph 3 of the Fund Act, the repayment period does not run, the stabilization loan is not subject to interest, and you are not obligated to repay the stabilization loan. More information about the deferment of payments according to §13d paragraph 3 of the Fund Act is provided in Article VII of the stabilization loan agreement.

> You are entitled to this deferment of payments:
a) Due to studies

- if you are a student at a university based in the Slovak Republic or an equivalent study program abroad and have not yet completed your second-degree higher education,
- for six months after the completion of your first-degree higher education,
- for two months after the completion of your second-degree higher education,
- for two months after suspending or otherwise terminating your studies, if it concerns higher education at the first or second degree level.

A deferral of payments for study purposes is possible for a total of up to seven years, and it does not have to be consecutive seven years.

A deferral of payments for study purposes will be provided to you if you submit:
- application for a stabilization loan or
- a separate written request for a deferral of payments and
- required attachment:
​- confirmation of school attendance - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy, and
​- translation of the confirmation of school attendance and a sworn statement regarding the translation - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy (for confirmations in languages other than Slovak and Czech).

b) Due to performing a deficit-regulated profession in the territory of the Slovak Republic, for which you have prepared through your studies, according to the appendix of the stabilization loan agreement (if you were a nursing student and your application for a stabilization loan was approved in the academic years 2018/2019 to 2022/2023, this refers to the profession "nurse").

We will grant a deferral of repayments due to performing a deficit-regulated profession in the territory of the Slovak Republic if you submit:

- a certificate from the employer regarding the commencement and duration of the employment relationship, proving the performance of a deficit-regulated profession in the territory of the Slovak Republic – original, not older than 30 days / certified copy and
- on the employer's certificate, you will indicate that you are requesting a deferral of loan repayments

The deferral of loan repayments due to the performance of a shortage-regulated profession is granted for one year and can be requested repeatedly during the period of performing the shortage-regulated profession in the territory of the Slovak Republic.

c) Due to maternity leave or parental leave

- if, due to the start of maternity leave or parental leave, you interrupt your higher education studies or the performance of a shortage-regulated profession in the territory of Slovakia and at the same time
- you notify the fund in writing about the commencement of maternity leave or parental leave and request a deferment of payments no later than two months after the interruption of higher education or the performance of a shortage-regulated profession in the territory of the Slovak Republic.

The deferment of payments due to maternity or parental leave is possible for a total of up to five years, although it does not have to be consecutive five years.

The deferment of payments due to maternity or parental leave will be granted if you submit:

- separate written request for deferment of payments no later than two months after the interruption of higher education or the performance of a regulated shortage occupation, and
- the required attachment:
​​ ​- confirmation from the Social Insurance Agency or doctor regarding the start of maternity leave - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy, or
​ ​- document from the authority providing parental allowance - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy and a copy of the child's birth certificate, and
​- confirmation of the interruption of studies or confirmation from the employer about the interruption of the performance of a regulated shortage occupation (copy), and
​- translation of the confirmation of the interruption of studies and a sworn statement regarding the translation - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy (for confirmations in languages other than Slovak or Czech).

d) Due to the performance of voluntary military preparation

- if you interrupt your higher education studies or the performance of a deficit-regulated profession in the territory of the Slovak Republic due to joining voluntary military training and at the same time
- you notify the fund in writing about your participation in voluntary military training and request a deferral of payments no later than two months after the interruption of your higher education studies or the performance of a deficit-regulated profession in the Slovak Republic.

The deferral of payments due to voluntary military training is possible for the duration of the voluntary military training, including any potential duration of the ordered extraordinary service.

We will grant a deferral of payments due to voluntary military training if you submit:

- a separate written request for a deferral of payments, submitted no later than two months after the interruption of higher education studies or the performance of a regulated shortage occupation and
- required attachment:

- notification from the Personnel Department of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic regarding admission to voluntary military training - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy, and
- certificate of study interruption or confirmation from the employer about the interruption of performing a regulated shortage profession (copy), and
- translation of the certificate of study interruption and an affidavit regarding the translation - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy (for certificates in languages other than Slovak or Czech)

The deferral of payments will be applied if all the specified conditions are met, starting from the month in which the request for deferral is received by the fund, provided that the request is submitted by the due date of the regular monthly payment, i.e., by the 25th day of the month. If a new circumstance arises during the deferral (e.g., a reason for early termination of the deferral or a reason for extending the deferral), you must send the relevant document to the fund within 14 days of the new circumstance arising and, if the reason for the deferral still applies, also submit a new request for deferral. Based on the submitted documents, the fund will adjust the duration of the payment deferral. If the deferral of payments was granted based on a separate request for deferral and a different expected state exam date is listed in section 3B of your request for the stabilizing loan compared to the one mentioned in the deferral request, the fund will adjust the deferral period based on the date provided in the stabilizing loan request.

The request for a deferral of payments, along with its attachments, can be submitted in paper form to the fund’s address or in electronic form with the following conditions:

1. Attachments to the request for a deferral of payments, which are required as originals, can be submitted:

​a) in paper form (together with the request for a deferral of payments) as an original, a certified copy, or a document converted from an electronic form to paper form by a notary or another authorized entity (e.g., by post), or
​b) in electronic form (together with the request for a deferral of payments sent electronically) with a qualified electronic seal from the institution that issued the document, or it must be a document converted from paper to electronic form by a notary or another authorized entity (e.g., by post).

2. Attachments to the deferral request that are required as copies may be delivered:

​a) in paper form (together with the deferral request) as a copy, or
​b) in electronic form (together with the deferral request sent electronically) as a scan/photo in a *.pdf file or another format protected against further modifications

2. Special deferral of payments according to § 17, paragraph 14 of the Fund Act.

If the due date for your loan has already passed (the period when you are obligated to repay the loan) and you are not eligible for a deferral of payments according to § 13, paragraph 3 of the Fund Act, you may also request a so-called special deferral of payments.

During the special deferral of payments according to § 17, paragraph 14 of the Fund Act, the repayment period continues, the loan accrues interest, and you are only required to pay the interest on the principal. Further information about the special deferral of payments according to § 17, paragraph 14 of the Fund Act is provided in Article VIII of the loan agreement.

> You are entitled to a special deferral of payments if:

a) Due to maternity leave or parental leave
The period of special deferment of payments due to maternity leave or parental leave is not time-limited.

Special deferment of payments due to maternity or parental leave will be granted if you submit:

- a separate written request for deferment of payments, and
- the required attachment:

​a) confirmation from the Social Insurance Agency or a doctor regarding the commencement of maternity leave - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy, or
​b) document from the authority providing parental allowance - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy and the child's birth certificate - copy

b) Due to being registered with the relevant labor office, social affairs, and family as a job seeker
The period of deferral of payments due to unemployment is possible for a total duration of one year, with the continuous period of special deferral of payments not exceeding six months.

The special deferral of payments due to being registered as a job seeker with the relevant employment office, social affairs, and family will be granted if you submit:

- a separate written request for deferral of payments and
- required attachment,
​- a document confirming registration with the relevant Employment Office, Social Affairs, and Family as a job seeker - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy

c) Due to the performance of voluntary military training

The special deferral of repayments due to the performance of voluntary military training is possible for the entire duration of the voluntary military training, as well as for the entire possible duration of the order for the performance of exceptional service by a soldier undergoing voluntary military training.

The special deferral of repayments due to the performance of voluntary military training will be provided to you if you submit:

- a separate written request for a deferral of repayments, and
- the required attachment:
​- ​notification from the Personnel Office of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic regarding admission to voluntary military training - original, not older than 30 days / certified copy

> The special deferral of payments will be applied starting from the month following the month in which the fund received the request for the special deferral of payments, provided that you meet all the conditions for granting the deferral and that all previously due payments have been made.

In the event that a new circumstance arises during the special deferral of payments (e.g., a reason for early termination of the special deferral, or a reason for extending the special deferral), you are required to send the relevant document to the fund within 14 days of the new circumstance occurring. If the reason for the special deferral still persists, you must also submit a request for the deferral. Based on the documents submitted, the fund will adjust the duration of the special deferral of payments.

The fund will notify you in writing of the adjusted loan repayment amount during the period of the granted special deferral of payments, and after the special deferral period ends, it will inform you of the new regular monthly loan repayment amount.

The repayment period of the stabilization loan is extended by the duration of the special deferral of payments, i.e., for the period during which the borrower only repays the interest on the principal.

The request for a special deferral of payments, including attachments, can be submitted in paper form to the fund's address or in electronic form to the email address of the respective officer, provided that:

> the attachments to the request for a special deferral of payments, which are required as originals, can be submitted:

​- in paper form (together with the request for a special deferral of payments) as an original, a certified copy, or a document resulting from a secure conversion of the relevant document from electronic form to paper form by a notary or another authorized entity (e.g., by mail)
​​- in electronic form (together with the request for a special deferral of payments sent electronically) bearing a qualified electronic seal of the institution that issued the document, or it must be a document converted into electronic form from paper form through a secure conversion by a notary or another authorized entity (e.g., by mail)

> the attachments to the request for a special deferral of payments, which are required as a copy, can be submitted:

​- in paper form (together with the request for a special deferral of payments) as a regular copy or
​​- in electronic form (together with the request for a special deferral of payments sent electronically) as a scan/photo in a file format *.pdf or another format secured against further changes

3. Deferral for another qualified reason according to § 4 paragraph 1 letter m) of the Fund Act.

You are entitled to request a deferral of loan repayment or principal payment in writing for another qualified reason, and the same conditions apply as for the special deferral of payments according to § 17 paragraph 14 of the Fund Act. The request for a deferral of payments for another qualified reason must be justified, and the claims for which you are requesting the deferral must be documented.

There is no legal entitlement to a deferral of payments for another qualified reason..

> Principal write-off

A write-off of the principal refers to the reduction of the outstanding principal of the stabilization loan after the specified conditions have been met. Further information about the write-off of the principal according to §13d, paragraph 6 of the law is provided in Article IX of your stabilization loan agreement.

If you prove to the fund that you have been performing a shortage-regulated profession on a full-time or part-time basis in the territory of the Slovak Republic, and for which you obtained the necessary qualifications through studying the relevant academic program (for stabilization loan applications approved in the academic years 2018/2019 to 2022/2023, this refers to the nursing program), you are entitled to a reduction of the outstanding principal of the stabilization loan by a proportional part of the total granted loan for each year of performing the shortage-regulated profession.

Work on a part-time basis is acceptable as meeting the requirement for the number of years worked to qualify for the principal reduction, provided that the part-time employment constitutes at least 50% of a full-time employment.

The period of disability that prevents the performance of a shortage-regulated profession and which occurred during the performance of the shortage-regulated profession is counted towards the time for the principal reduction claim. The period of the debtor's employment relationship during which the debtor is not actually performing the shortage-regulated profession is not included in the time spent performing the shortage-regulated profession.

The amount of the proportional part of the stabilization loan by which the unpaid principal of the stabilization loan is reduced is determined by the Regulation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sport of the Slovak Republic No. 262/2020 Coll. from September 11, 2020, effective from 28.09.2020. 

The amount of the proportional part of the stabilization loan by which the unpaid principal of the stabilization loan is reduced is:

1. one third if the stabilization loan was provided in the amount of 1 € to 6,000 €,
2. one sixth if the stabilization loan was provided in the amount of 6,001 € to 12,000 €,
3. one ninth if the stabilization loan was provided in the amount of 12,001 € to 18,000 €,
4. one twelfth if the stabilization loan was provided in the amount of more than 18,000 €.

> Procedure in case of applying for the claim for principal write-off

You prove the fulfillment of the conditions for the write-off by submitting a confirmation from your employer, which must indicate the period during which you performed a shortage of regulated profession in the territory of the Slovak Republic. You must submit the confirmation after each year of work from the beginning of performing the shortage of regulated profession in the territory of the Slovak Republic.

The fund assesses and evaluates the fulfillment of the conditions for the write-off only after proving the fulfillment of the conditions. A write-off cannot be made if you do not prove to the fund that the conditions for the write-off have been met. A write-off cannot be made if you have not performed the shortage of regulated profession for 12 full months, and it does not need to be 12 consecutive months (for example, working 11 months and 3 weeks does not entitle you to a write-off).

For applications for a stabilization loan approved in the academic years 2018/2019 to 2022/2023, you must work in the position of "Nurse" in a healthcare facility providing outpatient care, inpatient care, or in a social care facility providing nursing care in accordance with applicable legislation in order to qualify for the write-off of principal.​