The scholarship is provided to help students fully concentrate on their academic work without having to worry about financing their studies. The funds may be used flexibly for tuition, student transit passes, study materials, technology or other equipment, housing and continuing education for personal or career development.
For Corinne Oetker-Álvarez, currently completing her master’s teaching degree in Bonn, the timing of the scholarship couldn’t be better: “The scholarship gives me greater financial security going into next semester when I'm doing my unpaid internship. It will also make getting an apartment easier, so I can better focus my time and energy on studying.”
Zilan Erol, a master’s degree student in Economics, is grateful as well for how the funds will make life easier: “I intend to use the scholarship to cover tuition and some of my living expenses. The funds mean I can stop worrying about money and concentrate on my studies, completing my master’s thesis and then achieving my career goals.”
Having applied via the e-learning platform Santander Open Academy, the two scholarship recipients were chosen by random selection. This procedure ensures that all applicants have the same chance of winning, irrespective of grades or social criteria. Scholarship recipients are required to account for how they utilize the funds, submitting two formless usage reports outlining what they used the scholarship money for and how it supported their studies.
The scholarship is awarded jointly by the University of Bonn and Santander Universities. The University of Bonn has been a member of the Santander global network of over 1,200 universities receiving financial support from the bank since 2018. The partnership focuses on projects around internationalization, employability, innovation, sustainability and digitalization.