Questions and Answers

The Deutschlandstipendium consists of a grant of 300 euros per month, of which 150 euros are donated by a private sponsor, i.e. private individuals, foundations, companies, associations, etc. The remaining 150 euros are provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF).

No, this money does not have to be paid back.

The applications are reviewed by the applicants’ relevant department, which either selects the applicants directly or, if desired, makes a preliminary selection from which the sponsors can choose "their" scholarship recipients. However, the final decision remains with the departments.

Unfortunately not, doctoral programs are excluded from the Deutschlandstipendium.

Yes, high school graduates/first-year students are also welcome to apply. Please note that you must be enrolled at TU Dortmund University by 1 October to be eligible.

Yes, you can apply as long as you are enrolled at TU Dortmund University by 1 October. During the application phase, you do not necessarily have to be enrolled yet.

Yes, foreign/international students are also welcome to apply as long as you are an enrolled/prospective student of TU Dortmund University.

Yes, refugees can also receive the Deutschlandstipendium as long as they are enrolled at TU Dortmund University as of 1 October.

Yes, second degree program/foundation degree students can also be supported by the Deutschlandstipendium as long as you are enrolled at TU Dortmund University as of 1 October.

Yes, an application is possible. Please inform us immediately if this situation applies to you.

It is required that you transfer to the Master's degree program without interruption (i.e., without removal from the register of students (exmatriculation) or a vacation semester, etc.). In any case, when you transfer, we will need your current Transcript of Records, your Bachelor's degree certificate (if you already have one), and a current academic transcript confirming the enrollment in the Master's degree program.

In the case of the successful completion of studies, the Deutschlandstipendium will continue to be paid until the announcement of the overall results, but no later than the end of the second month after the last graded examination.

In the case of a discontinuation of studies or a change of the subject, the support ends at the end of the month in which the studies were discontinued or changed.

Yes, students residing abroad can also apply as long as they are enrolled at TU Dortmund University as of 1 October.

Yes, dropping out of previous degree programs does not affect an application for the Deutschlandstipendium.

There is no general answer to this question. Good to very good performance in your studies is important to determine eligibility for support - however, other criteria also play a significant role for the Deutschlandstipendium, such as social commitment, willingness to take on responsibility, or special social, family, or personal circumstances resulting from e.g. your family situation or an immigrant background.

There is no restriction on which subjects can or cannot apply. In the case of the Deutschlandstipendium, there is always a fixed percentage of scholarships at each university that are awarded on a subject-independent basis - i.e., regardless of the degree program. This ensures that students from all disciplines at a university can apply. 

All students enrolled at TU Dortmund University in Bachelor's or Master's degree programs as well as potential first-year students (e.g. high school graduates) can apply. Doctoral students are not eligible for funding. Of course, international students can also apply. Please note that you must be enrolled at TU Dortmund University by 1 October to be eligible.

You can apply regardless of the number of semesters, as long as you have not yet exceeded the standard program duration for your respective degree program and are expected to be enrolled in this degree program at TU Dortmund University for at least two more semesters.

The Deutschlandstipendium is awarded starting in the winter semester (beginning of October) and is generally granted for at least two semesters (end of September of the following year). An extension of the funding period up to a maximum of the end of the standard program duration for a degree program can be approved if you continue to perform well in your degree program and the funds are available to finance the scholarship. Please be aware that continued funding is not automatic, so the annual reapplication is mandatory for all scholarship holders!

Current scholarship holders can continue to receive funding. To do so, however, you must reapply and indicate in the online application portal that you are already receiving the Deutschlandstipendium in the current funding period.

Application deadlines are regularly announced on the Deutschlandstipendium-website and via the departments. Please inform yourself in good time, as late applications cannot be considered!

Yes. You can reapply every year as long as you meet the requirements for funding of the Deutschlandstipendium. As part of the online application form, you can indicate that you want your application data to be saved for future application procedures.

The online application platform is also available in English. You can choose the language before you sign in. If you need help with your application, please check the rest of our English FAQs or contact us via email.

Yes. If the duration of your studies is extended for serious reasons, such as a disability, pregnancy, the care and upbringing of a child, or a subject-related stay abroad, the maximum funding period can be extended on a case-by-case basis.

The sponsorship ends at the end of the month in which the scholarship holder

• has successfully completed their studies
• has discontinued their studies
• has changed the field of study or
• is removed from the register of students (exmatriculated).

In addition, the scholarship ends when the maximum duration of the scholarship (end of the standard program duration) has been reached and/or the academic performance no longer justifies the continuation of the scholarship.

Please note: The individualized standard program duration is increased by one semester for students who were enrolled in a degree program at TU Dortmund University in the Summer semester 2020, in the Winter semester 2020/2021, in the Summer semester 2021, and/or in the Winter semester 2021/2022, or who are admitted to such a degree program as a second student in accordance with Section 52 (2) of the Higher Education Act (Hochschulgesetz NRW, HG). If, for example, the individualized standard program duration has already been increased by one semester for the Summer semester 2020, this will be increased by a further semester if the affected students are also enrolled or admitted to TU Dortmund University in the Winter semester 2020/21. Please contact your responsible examination office for information on the standard program duration currently applicable to you.

Selection is based on the criteria set out in the Scholarship Program Act (Stipendienprogramm-Gesetz, StipG (German only)).

The scholarships are awarded on the basis of talent and performance. In addition to previous achievements and personal career, social commitment, willingness to take on responsibility or special social, family or personal circumstances resulting, for example, from family background or a migration background are also taken into account.

Performance and talent can be demonstrated as follows:

• For first-year students by the average grade of the university entrance qualification (e.g. the grade of the Abitur or the high school diploma etc.) with special consideration of the individual grades relevant to the chosen field of study or the special qualification that entitles the student to study at TU Dortmund university.
• For students who are already enrolled, by the achievements in the degree program to date, in particular the acquired credit points. For Master's students, the final grade of the Bachelor's certificate is also taken into account.

In the overall assessment of the applicant's potential, particular consideration will be given to the following factors:

• special achievements, awards and prizes, previous professional activity and internships
• extracurricular involvement, such as volunteer work, social, university or political involvement, and/or participation in religious societies, associations or clubs

Special personal or family circumstances, e.g.:

• illnesses and disabilities,
• care work of own children, especially as a single parent,
• care work of close relatives in need of care,
• working in the family business,
• employment during studies,
• family background or a migration background.

After the application deadline, your application will be forwarded to the relevant department. In the respective selection committees of the departments, a selection is made which is based on the above criteria. The sponsor can be involved in the selection process in an advisory capacity. In compliance with current data protection legislation, only anonymized applicant data will be forwarded to the sponsors. However, the final decision lies with the departments.

After the selection process has been completed, all applicants will be informed – both in case of acceptance or rejection. Scholarship holders will receive their scholarship notifications by e-mail. Please note that you will not receive a separate confirmation e-mail after signing and returning the notification. All applicants who could not be considered will receive a message to the e-mail address provided with their application. Please note that the selection process may extend into December. The scholarship will nevertheless be paid retrospectively from October.

After receipt of the scholarship notification signed by the scholarship holder, the payment of the scholarship will be initiated. Payments are sent out at the end of the previous month. If the notification of the scholarship is received after 1 October, the scholarship will be paid retrospectively for the funding months up to that date.

No. Receipt of the scholarship is not linked to any further commitment. With the scholarship, you are under no obligation to complete internships, work-study activities, etc. in the company or association sponsoring you. However, regular contact between you as a scholarship holder and the sponsor is possible and desirable. You will receive the contact details of your sponsor with your scholarship notification. This gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself to the sponsor and to thank them.

Scholarship holders must immediately notify the university of any changes in their circumstances that are relevant to the granting of the scholarship and, if necessary, submit proof of suitability and performance. This includes, for example, a change of address, completion of a degree program, or a semester abroad.

At the beginning of the year, the yearly scholarship ceremony is held, at which the corresponding certificates are officially awarded. Following the official part of the ceremony, sponsors and scholarship holders have the opportunity to get to know each other and exchange ideas.

During a voluntary internship during the lecture-free period or on individual weekdays during the lecture period, the Deutschlandstipendium can continue as normal; this also applies to an internship with the student's own sponsor. However, if the internship lasts longer than 8 weeks and is completed full-time, the scholarship will no longer be paid. In this case, please inform us in good time in order to avoid any repayments you might have to complete.

Yes, the Deutschlandstipendium will continue to be paid during a subject-related stay abroad. The mobility support of the ERASMUS program also has no effect on the Deutschlandstipendium, meaning you will receive both at the same time. Please note that your time abroad must be a subject-related stay.

During a leave of absence from studies, e.g. due to parental leave or illness, the scholarship will not be paid out. If you continue your studies, the grant period will be extended by the duration of your leave of absence. However, if you have taken a leave of absence for a subject-related stay abroad (e.g. an internship), you can continue to receive the Deutschlandstipendium.

No, the Deutschlandstipendium does not have a negative effect on the receipt of other social benefits such as unemployment benefits (ALG I & II), child benefits, or (half-) orphans' pensions.

Please note the following exceptions that will be affected by the Deutschlandstipendium:

• housing benefits (Wohngeld)
• parental alimonies (Unterhaltszahlungen)

In these cases, the receipt of the Deutschlandstipendium can lead to a reduction in the housing allowance/maintenance. Please contact your housing benefit office or your youth welfare office for further information on this.

No, the Deutschlandstipendium is not subject to any tax or social security contributions.

Yes, students who are supported by the Deutschlandstipendium are allowed to have a paid job alongside their studies. The Deutschlandstipendium is awarded irrespective of income.

You cannot apply for a Deutschlandstipendium if you are already receiving talent- and performance-based funding that averages 30 euros or more per month and that falls within the funding period of the Deutschlandstipendium. Please check in advance the detailed overview on the admissibility of receiving other scholarships at the same time as the Deutschlandstipendium.

No, the Deutschlandstipendium is not dependent on income and does not count towards BAföG. Students can take advantage of both funding opportunities at the same time without deductions.

You must first register for the online portal. Enrolled students should preferably use their @tu-dortmund.de e-mail address. Then, you can choose a password and will receive a link to confirm your registration. Once registration is complete, you can log in using the password you chose and the e-mail address you provided.

Please choose a password with at least twelve characters. The password must contain at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one special character (!#$%&()*+,-./:;<>=?@[]^_{|}~) and one number.

Click on "Forgot your password" at the bottom of the registration form and then enter your e-mail address. You will then receive a message with a link to change your password. Please also check your spam folder in case the e-mail does not reach you.

Relevant (!) activities can also be listed under "Internship".

Please enter the subject (teaching subject, vocational or special education subject) which is listed first on your certificate of study. Accordingly, students studying "Mathematics & Chemistry" enter "Chemistry" as their 1st degree program and "Mathematics" as their 2nd degree program. Your application will first be forwarded to the department in which the first subject is located.

Subject semesters are all semesters completed within a specific degree program (Bachelor, Master, etc.). Semesters on leave of absence are not counted. In case of a change of degree program, the number of semesters restarts with the first semester. This means that if you change from a Bachelor's to a Master's degree program, you start with the 1st semester in the Master's degree program.

University semesters, on the other hand, are all semesters for which students are or were enrolled at a university within the scope of the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland). University semesters also include semesters of leave. In the case of a change of degree program, the university semesters are continuously counted. This means that if you change from a Bachelor's degree program completed in the standard program duration (i.e., six semesters) to a Master's degree program, you will start the Master's degree program with the 7th university semester.

Please enter the subject and university semester in which you will be starting in the Winter semester 2023/2024.

Example: If you start your first ever degree program at TU Dortmund University, you will be in the 1st subject semester and the 1st university semester.

Please inform us about this by e-mail. In the application form, please enter "XXX" so that you can complete and submit the application. If you are selected for a Deutschlandstipendium, please let us know the German bank details as soon as they are available.

Please choose only files in a PDF format for your attachments. The files must not exceed a total size of 10 MB. When using certain internet browsers, the files may not be able to be attached to the application even though they are in the correct format and size. In this case, please try to upload the attachments using a different internet browser. If the attachments still cannot be uploaded, please contact Mr. Nathan Ewers by e-mail.

As part of the online application, information on personal circumstances, previous work history, and academic achievements is required. Proof of matriculation is not required.

You are welcome to attach documents to your application that substantiate the information you have provided and/or show a differentiated picture of your achievements:

• Students who are already enrolled should attach a current Transcript of Records issued by the Central Examination Office, if one is already available. To obtain the grade transcript, you can contact the administrator responsible for your degree program by e-mail.
• First-year students should enclose their university entrance qualification (e.g., high school diploma, Abitur etc.).

Further documents can include (but are not limited to):

• certificate of a previous (university) education (such as foundation degree diploma, Bachelor's certificate, results of intermediate examinations)
• certificates of special awards or honorary activities,
• work and/or internship certificates.

Please note that you must also upload all documents as one PDF file in an anonymous format, so that no conclusion can be drawn about your person. This means that all personal data, such as your name, date of birth, address, student ID number, gender, etc. must be blacked out. Please note that, for example, your name is listed on every page of your grade report. In other words, redaction is required on every page.

The letter of motivation should contain a maximum of 1500 characters (including spaces). In the letter of motivation, you can go into more detail about your previous achievements and social commitment. You are also welcome to mention any activities you are planning for the future. You can explain why you are applying for the Deutschlandstipendium, what distinguishes you from other applicants, what has particularly shaped you in your life and how the Deutschlandstipendium could support you in your career plans.

The letter of motivation can, of course, also be written in English.

You can edit and save your application in several sessions during the application period if necessary. Once you have completed your application, you can submit it online. Once you have finally submitted your application, you will no longer be able to edit it!

All scholarship holders are asked for consent to share their contact information. For this purpose, please sign the corresponding letter, which you will receive together with your scholarship notification. If you do not agree to your data being passed on, your data will not be passed on to the sponsor.

However, we highly recommend that you agree to be contacted - your sponsor is looking forward to getting to know you! Passing on your contact details can also be worthwhile for you, as you can make contact with potential employers at an early stage and gain insights into the respective industries and companies. In addition, some sponsors extend their scholarship students invitations to workshops, cultural evenings, networking meetings, or participation in special mentoring programs.