What is a scholarship?
A scholarship is a financial (educational) grant that supports students and first-year students in covering the costs associated with their studies. In the most common form of scholarship, scholarship holders receive a fixed monthly payment over a certain period of time. In addition, there are scholarships that are awarded for special projects, such as (research) projects, theses or stays abroad, and are sometimes paid as reimbursement of expenses. In addition to financial support, many scholarship providers also offer ideational or content-related support in the form of educational and networking opportunities. Scholarships are thus doubly beneficial! Usually they do not even have to be reimbursed.
Who can apply?
Many scholarships target students with above-average performance. However, not only highly gifted students are considered for a scholarship! In general, students of all disciplines can apply, regardless of whether they are enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's programme or the stage of their studies. Some scholarships even support doctoral students. It is therefore always advisable to find out who is eligible for a scholarship and in which way.
What are the selection criteria?
The criteria for receiving a scholarship vary widely. Many scholarships are aimed at students with above-average performance. For public scholarship providers, other criteria are often particularly important, such as social or voluntary commitment. So even if you don't have the best grades, it can be worth investing time in the search for a scholarship!
Scholarships & foundations at the university
The "Deutschlandstipendium" is intended to support exceptionally gifted first-year students and students. The scholarship holders not only receive financial support, but are also in close contact with their sponsor. Some sponsors offer plant tours, networking meetings and recruiting programmes, and more.
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This call for applications (PDF) is valid for the current application and award period from September 2024 to August 2025 and is based on the statutes for the awarding of German scholarships. The call for applications publicly informs about the procedure for awarding scholarships.
More information Click here to apply
The "Aufstiegsstipendium für Berufserfahrene" is a programme of the Federal Government and supports a first university degree - full-time or part-time. It is aimed at professionals with vocational training and at least two years of work experience who have demonstrated particular talent and commitment.
| For whom: | Experienced professionals who can prove completion of vocational training and subsequent professional activity of at least 2 years with a minimum of 19 hours/week. |
| Who promotes: | The SBB - Foundation for the Promotion of the Gifted in Vocational Education and Training on behalf of & with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) |
| Funding level: |
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| Application: | See the current deadlines for the online application. |
The 13 largest organisations for the promotion of gifted students in Germany award scholarships to students on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The amount of funding is the same everywhere and applicants must have a very good Abitur and social, political or church commitment. Some of the organisations that support gifted students are affiliated with political or ecclesiastical institutions. These include:
| Foundation | Scholarships for | Contact at the university |
| Avicenna-Studienwerk (islamic) | talented Muslim students of all disciplines | Contact directly via the foundation |
Cusanuswerk (catholic) | Catholic students of all disciplines with excellent professional qualifications & intellectual openness | Prof. Dr. Volker Reichenberger |
| Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk (jewish) | Gifted Jewish students & doctoral candidates of German nationality | Prof. Dr. Helmut Nebeling |
| Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst (evangelic) | Students with church, community, political or social commitment | Contact directly via the foundation |
| Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (sympathetic to the SPD) | Students who are above average achievers & civically responsible | Prof. Henning Eichinger |
| Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit (sympathetic to the FDP) | Professionally convincing students with a liberal attitude & corresponding socio-political responsibility | Prof. Dr. Stephan Seiter |
| Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung (sympathetic to the CSU) | Students with a proven track record and a Christian social attitude | Prof. Dr. Jochen Brune |
| Hans-Böckler-Stiftung | Committed individuals who are already in professional life or who cannot finance higher education on their own | Contact directly via the foundation |
| Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (sympathetic to the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) | Students with outstanding achievements & socio-political commitment | Prof. Dr. Anna Goeddeke |
| Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (sympathetic to the CDU) | Above-average students with a sense of political responsibility & social open-mindedness | Prof. Dr. Bodo Herzog Prof. Dr. Hans-Martin Beyer |
| Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (sympathetic to Die Linke) | Women, the socially deprived & people with disabilities | Contact directly via the foundation |
| Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft | Students with above-average academic performance & social commitment | Prof. Dr. Rolf Daxhammer |
| Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (politically, denominationally & ideologically independent) | Regular students who distinguish themselves through performance, sense of responsibility & initiative | Prof. Dr. Christoph Binder |
In addition to the funding opportunities offered by public foundations, there are a large number of private-sector foundations and initiatives that offer scholarships.
Femtec.Network
The Femtec.Network offers female students of STEM subjects at universities of applied sciences a solid opportunity for professional development and networking in programmes accompanying their studies. The network shows female students attractive career opportunities and increases their visibility in the professional context. The participating partner companies can specifically approach female students and explore possible career paths with them. The Femtec.Network primarily aims to create professional role models for women.
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
The Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship is awarded by the Zonta International Foundation and is aimed at female students of business and related fields. For more than 100 years, the Zonta International Foundation has been committed to empowering women in the workplace and to bringing more women into corporate leadership roles.
The organisation offers 37 scholarships at $5,000 (US dollars) each. Since the programme began in 1998, approximately 700 scholarships have been awarded to female students from 66 nations. For more information on the scholarship and application process, visit the Zonta International Foundation website.
Reinhold-Beitlich-Stiftung
The Reinhold Beitlich Foundation goes back to the initiative of the Beitlich couple, who parted with most of their private assets in 1983 to establish the foundation with the capital. The foundation embodies the charitable and social aspirations of the company founder within the globally operating CHT Group. The foundation offers scholarships for students of all disciplines.
Schmalenbach-Stiftung
The scholarship programme of the Schmalenbach Foundation aims to ideally and financially support professionally qualified and socially committed students in a business-oriented Master's programme.
Südweststipendium
The companies of the metal and electrical industry support students from technical and scientific courses of study with the Südweststipendium. The scholarship of the Association of the Metal and Electrical Industry Baden-Württemberg, Südwestmetall offers:
- A scholarship of at least 1,000€ for one year
- Insights into professional practice through internships, final theses or working student activities
- Getting to know potential employers
Reutlingen University offers a total of 12 doctoral scholarships in cooperation with Stuttgart University in the cooperative doctoral programme "Services Computing". You can find more information on the research focus, funding amount, duration, selection and application on the intranet.
