FAQ - questions and answers
Here you will find questions and answers about the Deutschlandstipendien programme at the University of Bonn.
Deutschlandstipendium scholarship
To apply, you will need to have been admitted to or enrolled at the University of Bonn.
The scheme is open to:
- All students who have enrolled for a degree program (bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, State Examination, Church Degree, magister’s degree) at the University of Bonn,
- All high school graduates and prospective students looking to begin a degree at the University of Bonn in the near future.
You cannot apply:
- If you have exceeded the standard period of study (funding beyond the end of this period can be separately applied for),
- If you already receive over EUR 30 a month in performance-based funding,
- If you are pursuing a doctorate.
Yes, a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship is not restricted to obtaining a first university degree.
No restrictions apply with regard to the applicants’ age.
Yes! They will need to have been admitted to or enrolled at the University of Bonn at the start of the funding period. The admission letter can also be submitted by e-mail after the application deadline.
No. Unfortunately, doctorates cannot be funded.
Funding beyond the standard period of study must be applied for separately. As a basic principle, this is only available for one semester and must be reviewed by the University of Bonn Foundation. Your application must be uploaded to the applications server by the application deadline together with your scholarship application. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. The selection committee of the University of Bonn Foundation will rule on your application.
- Very good study achievements at school or university
- Social engagement outside school or university.
The scholarship provides a monthly sum of EUR 300 (EUR 3,600 a year, funded 50/50 by sponsors and the federal government).
Funding from the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship starts in the winter semester (October 1) provided that a certificate of enrollment has been submitted.
Funding from the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship ends on September 30 in the following year. Reapplications are permitted.
The scholarship will also finish at the end of the month in which the recipient:
- Successfully completed their university education, i.e. when the scholarship recipient is given the overall result of the successfully completed degree, and no later than two months after the month in which the last examination component was taken,
- Discontinued their studies,
- Switched to another academic discipline, or
- Is deregistered.
If any of these apply to you, please notify the University of Bonn Foundation office (deutschlandstipendium@uni-bonn.de) without delay.
Funding may continue if certain criteria are met. These are:
- The master’s degree must be in the same field as the bachelor’s degree.
- There is no gap in between the completion of the bachelor’s and start of the master’s degree studies (no semesters waiting time or deregistration). The scholarship recipient does not complete the bachelor’s degree program any earlier than January of the funding year.
- The scholarship recipient’s coursework and study achievements must undergo another review and, as a minimum, must match those completed/earned at the time of the original successful application.
If the above does apply to you, please notify the University of Bonn Foundation office (deutschlandstipendium@uni-bonn.de) without delay.
If your level of performance remains exceptionally high, you can obtain an extension by submitting another application.
Funding from the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship is provided up until the end of the standard period of study. If there is a good reason for your studies taking longer, such as pregnancy, childcare or a stay abroad related to your academic discipline, you can apply for this cut-off date for your funding to be extended (see § 7 para. 1 of the Scholarship Program Act (StipG)).
No. Students who have been granted financial support or a performance- or talent-based scholarship from another funding institution are not entitled to apply.
This does not include the non-performance-based Erasmus scholarships or book allowances worth up to EUR 30 a month.
An overview of which scholarships can be claimed at the same time as the Deutschlandstipendium is provided under “Important downloads.”
Yes, you can receive both at the same time.
The scholarship will not be paid out during a leave of absence, e.g. due to maternity leave, parental leave or illness. When you resume your studies, the award period will be extended by the duration of your leave of absence.
A distinction must be made between compulsory internships in Germany and abroad on the one hand and other internships on the other. If you are awarded funding, you will need to tell us about your plans for an internship combined with a leave of absence at an early stage.
Compulsory internships:
Compulsory internships in Germany can form an integral part of a degree program and do not affect your entitlement to claim scholarship funding.
Internships abroad are treated in a similar way provided that they are covered in the relevant study regulations; they can be regarded as “stays abroad related to your academic discipline.”
Other internships:
If a scholarship recipient takes a leave of absence for another kind of internship that is not covered in the relevant study regulations, no more funding will be paid out during this time and the award period will not be extended.
Students who switch to the same degree program at another university will be allowed a transitional semester, i.e. their scholarship funding will continue to be paid out for one semester. This gives the student the chance to apply for a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship at their new university.
There is no legal entitlement to receive funding via a scholarship or have it extended.
The scholarship is awarded irrespective of income.
Yes, each scholarship recipient is allocated to a sponsor.
No, there are no direct obligations. A meeting with your sponsor will be arranged at the ceremonial handover of the certificate. Your presence at this event would be greatly appreciated in order to promote dialog between sponsors and the University and ensure that the scholarship program is expanded further.
Please tell the University of Bonn Foundation office (deutschlandstipendium@uni-bonn.de) without delay so that decision letters and payments do not get lost!
The BMBF’s FAQs page on the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship has comprehensive information on general topics.
Application procedure
The application period for winter semester 2024/25 starts on April 22, 2024.
The application period for winter semester 2024/25 ends on May 22, 2024.
All documents required for an application must be uploaded to the applications server. A link to the server will be published shortly.
Only complete application documents can be considered!
Only application including all required documents can be considered!
Required:
- Declaration of participation (to be found on the application server)
- Letter of motivation (a guide to writing letters of motivation can be found in the FAQs)
- Curriculum vitae in table form
- University entrance qualification
- Full transcript of records covering your studies to date (extract from BASIS; not required for applicants who have not yet started their studies)
Required – if available:
- Credentials (vocational certificates, job references)
- Certificate of enrollment (if already received, else to be submitted after starting your studies – no funding will be paid out beforehand!)
Voluntary supporting documents:
- References and certificates from internships and part-time jobs
- Proof of voluntary/social engagement, particular skills, awards, prizes, stays abroad, etc. (engagement can only be counted if proof is provided)
- Application for funding beyond the standard period of study (see “Important downloads”)
Only application including all required documents can be considered!
Required:
- Declaration of participation (to be found on the application server)
- Letter of motivation (a guide to writing letters of motivation can be found in the FAQs)
- Certificate of enrollment
- University entrance qualification
- Full transcript of records covering your studies to date (extract from BASIS)
Voluntary supporting documents:
- Curriculum vitae in table form
- Credentials (vocational certificates, job references)
- References and certificates from internships and part-time jobs
- Proof of voluntary/social engagement, particular skills, awards, prizes, stays abroad, etc. (engagement can only be counted if proof is provided)
- Application for funding beyond the standard period of study (see “Important downloads”)
High school graduates who will not have received their Abitur certificate by the end of the application period can send in their certificate (and only their certificate) via email by July 12, 2024. Everything else must be submitted beforehand. If you will not receive your Abitur certificate until after July 12, 2024, please contact us before applications close.
Yes! You must also apply during the application period. It is no longer possible to apply after the end of the application period. However, any funding you are awarded will not be paid out until you have sent us a copy of your certificate of enrollment.
Non-German certificates and transcripts of records must clearly indicate what the grade obtained corresponds to. In other words, the certificate or transcript of records must include a list of total grades awarded to enable comparison or a recognized conversion table. Of course, you can also submit a certified translation of your certificate or transcript of records, although there is no requirement to do so.
Online application
Using your login details for the applications server, you can access your application at any time during the application period to make changes and upload more documents.
For technical reasons, the number of potential uploads – certificates, references and proof of internships, part-time jobs and voluntary engagement – is limited to 15 files and a maximum total size of 20 MB. However, you can combine multiple documents (e.g. several certificates or references) into a single PDF file.
All documents must be uploaded as PDF files.
Yes, electronic signatures are permitted.
Your letter of motivation should not be longer than one page of A4 with the font size set to 11. The letter may exceed the prescribed length of an A4 page by no more than the space needed for insertion of an address.
Key questions
Letters of motivation for new applications
- Why are you applying for a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship?
- Why do you feel that a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship is particularly well suited to your academic or career goals?
- What are your career and/or academic goals?
- Are you engaged in any social/voluntary work and, if so, what kind?
- Have you already won any prizes or awards at school or university related to your chosen degree program?
- Potentially: What has your career path been like so far? Have there been any particular “obstacles” in your life that you have overcome?
Letters of motivation for extension applications
- Why are you applying for an extension to your existing scholarship?
- What are your academic goals?
- What are your career goals?
- Are you engaged in any social/voluntary work and, if so, what kind? Have you kept up this engagement while you have been funded by the University of Bonn Foundation?
- Have you already won any prizes or awards at school or university related to your chosen degree program?
- Will you complete your degree program within the standard period of study?
“In accordance with § 1 para. 2 of the Scholarship Program Act (StipG), students at universities of public administration cannot be awarded funding if they already receive remuneration as junior civil servants or similar benefits from public funds.” If you are a student assistant at the University of Bonn, please check the “No” box.
Please enter the total number of semesters that you will have studied for at German universities at the time you want your funding to start (university semesters).
University semesters encompass all the time spent studying, including the report semester together with semesters on leave and practical semesters at
- German universities on degree programs that do not incorporate any studying abroad,
- German and non-German universities, provided that you will remain enrolled at a German university during your stay abroad.
Please enter the number of program-related semesters that you will have studied for on your stated degree program at the time you want your funding to start.
Your program-related semesters will be all the semesters spent on your degree program (including the report semester). Provided that they have already been recognized by the university, you will also be able to count eligible program-related semesters that
- Were spent abroad on your current degree program and,
- Come from potentially different degree or training programs in Germany or abroad and are recognized within this degree program.
Valucon apps GmbH stores your personal data in its role as operator of the DSTIP applications server. It subcontracts the provision of the server to T-Systems International GmbH. The following groups of people can also view your application documents:
- University of Bonn Foundation staff
- Members of the selection panel in the various faculties
- Members of University of Bonn Foundation committees, who review the priority lists prepared by the faculties and make a recommendation to the chairperson.
All groups of people are bound to confidentiality. The personal data that you disclose will only be collected and processed in order to select suitable applicants and administer the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship. Your data will not be passed on to third parties not listed above.
After applying – Next steps
The University of Bonn Foundation reviews applications to see whether they meet the formal criteria. All applications are then sent to the applicants’ faculties for assessment and evaluation. The faculties scrutinize the applications received and make recommendations to the selection committee, which is made up of members of University of Bonn Foundation committees. Following another review, the selection committee proposes candidates to the chairperson, who then confirms the award of the scholarships.
Applicants will be notified of the results in writing.
The University of Bonn Foundation does not conduct any selection interviews.
Decisions on the approval or rejection of scholarship applications are expected to be made in mid-to-late September 2024. Please refrain from inquiring about the outcome of the application procedure before then.
