Scholarships

Scholarships provide financial and non-material support. The financial support enables students to concentrate on their studies, their university or non-university commitments. It can range from 100 euros per month to funding similar to the BAföG rate plus a 300-euro flat-rate tuition allowance per month. Unlike BAföG, scholarships do not have to be repaid; moreover, scholarships of up to 300 euros per month do not count toward BAföG.

The non-material support can include various offers for professional and interdisciplinary development and strengthening:

• an expansion of one's own horizons through seminars, coaching, educational trips, etc., as well as intensive contact with committed students from different disciplines
• support in the realization of own project ideas
• networking with other motivated students at the university location and nationwide
• personal contact persons at the foundation or the university who can give advice on the course of studies
• contact with mentors who are already established in the professional field the scholarship holders are aiming for
• A plus in applications for jobs or further funding.

Larger foundations combine financial and non-material support. Smaller foundations provide primarily financial support, but some also provide only non-material support. The financial support is a great relief in the planning of studies, but the idealistic support pays off in many cases to an even greater extent in the long term.

Those interested in scholarships can find further advantages on the website of Stipendienkultur Ruhr (German only).

Scholarships are awarded by organizations for the promotion of gifted students, foundations, universities and private companies. Many of these scholarship providers often define their requirements for future scholarship recipients only very globally as high-performing, motivated and committed. And not without reason: Achievements as well as commitment in, outside and before the studies are increasingly taken into account by the foundations in the life context of the applicants. In addition, sponsors can set their own priorities in the weighting of performance and commitment: It is possible, for example, for applicants with a mediocre grade point average to be included in the grant because they are very involved in volunteer work or because life circumstances precluded other achievements. Those interested in scholarships can find out what counts as commitment on the website of Stipendienkultur Ruhr (German only).

Donors can also consider specific groups of students, such as prospective journalists or teachers, students interested in business, needy students, students with disabilities, a professional or an immigrant background, membership in a religious group, and so on. Prospective students and students of TU Dortmund University are cordially invited to clarify in a personal consultation at the Central Student Advisory Service whether and if so which scholarship might suit you.

The application process

Students and prospective students can apply for many scholarship programs themselves. However, there are also programs for which they have to be nominated, e.g. by the school, a professor, the examination office or religious dignitaries. The more benefits students receive as part of the scholarship, the more involved the application process. Most scholarship programs offered by major academic foundations have two application deadlines per year. Smaller foundations, on the other hand, award scholarships only at one point in the year or on an ongoing basis. For the majority of the larger scholarship programs, students can apply before they begin their studies, while some are aimed exclusively at Master's students.

More detailed information on the application process can be found on the website of Stipendienkultur Ruhr.

Strategies for the application

• Clarify exactly who is a particularly good fit for the foundation, for example, by analyzing the foundation pages, profiles of scholarship holders, or - if possible - by contacting the scholarship ambassadors of the foundations.
• Also, check the application procedures.
• If you are considered for more than one fellowship, do not send a one-size-fits-all application, but refer to the respective fellowship in your application documents.
• Create a timeline for yourself, especially if multiple reviews need to be obtained, and start your application early.
• Get feedback on the application materials.
• The selection process itself takes several months, especially for the larger fellowship works. For smaller foundations, the selection process is usually much more expeditious, but you should include other forms of student funding in your planning.

Applying for a scholarship is worthwhile if students have clarified exactly whether they are eligible for it. The Central Student Advisory Service of TU Dortmund University supports students and future students in many ways.

How do scholarships promote personal and professional futures? Who can apply?

How does the application process work and which scholarship is right for whom?

The series of events "Durchstarten mit Stipendien" (Starting out with scholarships) offers interested parties the opportunity to obtain comprehensive information about the many scholarship opportunities. Experts provide advice on all aspects of finding and applying for scholarships.

The series of events is aimed at students and prospective students as well as internal and external multipliers.

Please note that this series of events is offered in German only.

More information can be found on the website of the digital event series "Durchstarten mit Stipendien".

Link to the website.