Funding

What is doctoral study income?

Doctoral study income is a legally guaranteed monthly income for eligible full-time doctoral students. Under the 2025 amendment to the Czech Higher Education Act, it may be made up of a doctoral scholarship, salary/wages for dissertation-related creative work, or a combination of both. The guaranteed minimum is 1.2 times the Czech minimum wage; for the 2025/2026 academic year, this equals CZK 24,960 per month.

Support Description 
Doctoral scholarship  University-paid scholarship forming part, or sometimes all, of doctoral study income. Conditions and exact amounts are set by law and university/faculty rules. 
Employment contract for dissertation-related work Salary/wages from a university or cooperating employer may count towards doctoral study income if the work is directly related to preparing the dissertation. 
Project, grant and faculty funding 

Government and international scholarships 

Agreement to complete a job (DPP)/
Agreement to perform work (DPČ) 
  		Additional funding may come from research projects, grants, supervisors, departments, or faculties, often through scholarships or employment. 
Foreign doctoral students may be eligible for Czech Government Scholarships for Developing Countries, MEYS bilateral exchange scholarships, or short-term research/mobility grants. These schemes are usually limited by nationality, nomination rules, field of study and duration, and are mostly relevant for international students. 
Flexible short-term work agreements can provide supplementary income, but they are not usually part of guaranteed doctoral income unless recognised under university rules. In 2025, DPP income below CZK 11,500/month is generally below the social and health insurance threshold. 
Social, accommodation, merit or university scholarships Some universities provide extra scholarships, including for excellent results, social need, accommodation, or other internal criteria. 
Tax benefits for doctoral students with children Doctoral students who are parents may claim the Czech child tax credit if they have taxable income and the child lives in the same household. In 2025, the annual credit is CZK 15,204 / 22,320 / 27,840 depending on the number of children, with a possible tax bonus if the credit exceeds tax due.