Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Deutschlandstipendium

You apply for the Deutschlandstipendium by filling out an online form. To access the form, you first set up an application account. This allows you to access the application form at any time, so you don't have to fill out the entire form in a single session. Your data will be stored in your application account until you submit the online application.

The online application form is relatively long. You will need about half an hour to complete and submit it, provided you have already prepared all relevant documents (enrollment certificate, transcript of records, etc.) as PDFs. You can find out which documents you need below in the FAQs.

The Deutschlandstipendium offers highly talented and committed students a reliable source of additional funding, initially for a period of one year. In addition to outstanding academic performance, scholarship recipients must also show social engagement.

Each scholarship provides 300 euros per month, with 150 euros paid by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 150 euros paid by private sponsors and companies, foundations, associations, alumni or private individuals.

The scholarship is for students of all nationalities, regardless of their other income or their parents’ incomes, and is not used in BAföG (Federal Training Assistance Act) (or international BAföG) calculations.

All students enrolled at the Europa-Universität Flensburg and applicants about to enroll are eligible to apply. The scholarship can only be paid out after the recipient has provided proof of enrollment. Doctoral students, exchange students, and visiting students are not eligible for the Deutschlandstipendium.

Since the number of scholarships depends on the amount of available funding, this number changes from year to year. We announce the number of scholarships the start of each application period.

Yes, students of any nationality are welcome to apply for the Deutschlandstipendium if they are or will be enrolled at Europa-Universität Flensburg at the start of the scholarship award period. Exchange students, doctoral students, visiting students/auditors, and participants in preparatory programs (e.g. ProRef) are not eligible for funding.

Yes, prospective students who are applying for admission to EUF can also apply for the Deutschlandstipendium, as long as they are enrolled at Europa-Universität Flensburg at the start of the award period.

No, students who are in Flensburg for an exchange semester are not eligible for the Deutschlandstipendium.

No, incoming exchange students are not eligible for the Deutschlandstipendium.

No, students in study preparation programs (e.g. ProRef) are not eligible for the Deutschlandstipendium.

No, doctoral students are not eligible for the Deutschlandstipendium. However, we encourage doctoral students to contact our scholarship advisory service to find out more about the available funding options.

Yes, students who are pursuing a second degree or postgraduate degree can apply for the Deutschlandstipendium.

Yes, you can apply for the Deutschlandstipendium at any point during your studies. However, applicants should still be within the standard period of study during the scholarship award period. It is possible to receive funding after the end of the standard period of study, if there are demonstrably serious reasons for this.

Yes, you can, if there was a serious reason why your studies have extended beyond the standard period of study. According to § 7 StipG, this includes a disability, pregnancy, the care and upbringing of a child, or a subject-related stay abroad.

No, you do not have to pay back the scholarship funds.

The scholarship period is generally two semesters, and is based on the standard period of study for your degree program. An extension is possible upon request.

The Deutschlandstipendium at Europa-Universität Flensburg is awarded annually at the start of the fall semester. It was awarded for the first time in Fall Semester 2018.

If you receive the scholarship and take a leave of absence, your scholarship payments will be suspended during your absence. If you then resume studies after your leave of absence has ended and informs us of this, the grant period will be adjusted, if necessary.

If your stay abroad is for subject-related study, scholarship payments will continue during your time abroad.

Yes, you can receive funding from the Deutschlandstipendium during the internship semester.

You can apply for a Deutschlandstipendium if you are going to start studying at Europa-Universität Flensburg in the upcoming fall semester. You can submit your bachelor's degree diploma or your enrollment certificate later, if you do not yet have these by the time you apply for the scholarship.

If you are receiving aptitude- or performance-based financial support of 30 euros or more per month, you cannot receive additional funding from the Deutschlandstipendium. You can find an overview of various scholarships that are compatible with or preclude Deutschlandstipendium funding  here.

The selection criteria include outstanding achievements at school or university, other criteria such as long-term voluntary work, special personal or family circumstances, internships, special successes, awards and prizes. The selection is made by a scholarship selection committee (see the guidelines for more information).

You can prove your academic achievements by uploading your certificates and your current Transcript of Records via the upload function at the end of the online application form. You can also prove your volunteer activities by uploading relevant proofs.

To apply for the Deutschlandstipendium, you need a copy of your foreign university entrance qualification/bachelor’s degree certificate, plus a certified translation of it in English or German (unless the certificate was issued directly in English). The translation is usually prepared by a certified legal translator.

According to the guidelines for awarding German scholarships at EUF, a base score of 2.3 is the lowest acceptable grade. Factors such as social engagement (among others) can raise this base score.

A letter of recommendation can serve as proof of special achievements and activities. If such letters were written in relation to the Deutschlandstipendium, they will be considered during the selection process. However, you will not be at any disadvantage if you do not upload a letter of recommendation.

Special study-related (university preparatory or university-parallel) achievements include the following: successful participation in university preparatory programs (e.g. ProRef); study visits to foreign universities, internships or study-parallel activities (e.g. as a student assistantship): completed vocational training or professional activities; and/or special achievements (e.g. prizes and scholarships), provided that these are relevant to the subject of study.

Special voluntary activities include regular participation in social, political or religious organizations, institutions, groups or bodies within or outside the university over a period of at least six months during the last two calendar years. These organizations, institutions, groups and committees must commit themselves to the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany (in accordance with the Grundgesetz, Art. 21, para. 2).

Special personal challenges include disabilities, chronical illnesses and/or breaks in one's own education (e.g. due to flight).

Special family challenges include taking care of one's own child/children, especially as a single parent, or else for a close relative in need of care at least with care level 2 and/or coming from a so-called "educationally disadvantaged" parental background (both parents lack a school leaving certificate).

Particular economic challenges are present in cases of economic need, especially in the form of social hardship.

Applicants and students are considered economically needy if their effective monthly net income during the funding period is below the maximum BAföG amount. They are subject to social hardship if their effective monthly net income during the funding period is significantly below the maximum BAföG amount.

For students at universities, academies and higher technical colleges, the maximum BAföG amount is currently 931 euros.

Economic need does not exist if applicants or students have assets of their own that exceed the BAföG cut-off threshold. In this context, assets are defined as capital, monetary and material assets.

Applicants need to substantiate the information on their income and wealth situation by providing appropriate evidence. If this is not possible, the accuracy and completeness of the information must be ensured via an official oath.

Applicants and students receiving a Deutschlandstipendium must notify the Scholarship Committee immediately of any changes in their income and asset situation.

Yes, BAföG and the Deutschlandstipendium are two complementary programs. In principle, students can take advantage of both funding opportunities at the same time without deductions. A deduction is only made if the amount of scholarship funding a person receives at the same time exceeds a total amount corresponding to a monthly average of 300 euros.

Prospective students who are applying for admission to a bachelor's or master's degree program and students in their first semester apply using their previous final grade. If you are an undergraduate student, this is the average grade on your university entrance qualification; if you are a master’s degree student, this is the average grade for your bachelor's degree. In this case, your average grade will be weighted at 100%.

Yes, each applicant will be informed of the decision after the selection process has ended.

You will receive feedback as soon as possible. The first scholarship payment will be made in September. As a rule, the application review period takes approximately 6 weeks. The award committee meets in the second half of September and decides who will receive scholarships. You will receive your feedback within a few days after the decision has been made. We will let you know if this schedule changes.

As a student, you will be notified as to whether your application was accepted/rejected exclusively via email to your student email address at Europa-Universität Flensburg.

Scholarship payments start when fall semester begins. It is planned to make the first payment in September, so that you can use the scholarship at the beginning of the fall semester. However, retroactive payment is also possible if decisions are made later than planned.

The scholarship is paid monthly. A one-time payment of the total amount is not possible.

The scholarship does not cover social security contributions. However, you are free to use the 300 euros to pay for your social insurance, for example.

You will need to submit the following documents with your application:

  1. Certificate of enrollment
  2. If you are already enrolled in a bachlor’s or master’s degree program: Proof of coursework and exams completed to date (overview of grades; transcript of records)
  3. If you are currently applying for admission to a bachelor's degree program/ bachelor-level study: Certificate of higher education entrance qualification
  4. If you are currently applying for admission to a master's degree program/master-level study: master's degree certificate
  5. Proof of special study-related achievements
  6. Proof of special voluntary activities
  7. Proof and details of any special personal, familial and/or economic challenges
  8. Curriculum vitae
  9. Your signed application agreement

We recommend that you prepare the documents as a PDF so that you can upload them directly while filling out the online application form.

Please upload all documents and certificates via the upload function on the Deutschlandstipendium application page.

You may submit the documents in German or English. Documents issued in other languages must be submitted in translation; you will need to get copies of certificates officially certified.

Since you do not have your bachelor's degree certificate, i.e. you are still a bachelor's student, please fill out the section "for bachelor's students" in the online application form. Please indicate on your status page that you will be in the first semester of your master's program and that you have earned 0 credits in this program so far. In the field "What is your current average grade," please enter your current grade cut for your bachelor's degree and upload your current transcript of records and your enrollment certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung). These details and documents will provide the scholarship committee with all relevant information to calculate your underlying value for the application. Please also fill out all the information fields regarding your university entrance qualification.

Yes, you can already apply; you only need to provide proof of your eligibility to enroll in an institute of higher education in Germany (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung) (e.g. your Abitur certificate). Enrollment is not yet required. You must submit your certificate of enrollment before the scholarship can be paid out.

Since your degree program starts in the spring semester, and no current grades are usually available by the end of the application period, your base grade for the degree program is determined solely on the basis of your university entrance qualification. International grades are converted using the Bavarian formula. Please also provide evidence of the grading system of your university (maximum grade and lowest passing grade).

Further FAQs on the BMBF website

Further information on the Deutschlandstipendium can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.