Costs and Financing for International Students

Students on exchange programs such as Erasmus+ are able to apply for financial support from their university. Your home university can give you more details.

DAAD-STIBET I scholarships under the Global Exchange Program

International students who come to Bonn from partner universities as part of the Global Exchange Program can obtain a DAAD-STIBET I scholarship. Their partner universities put their names forward for the scholarship via email when nominating them for the Global Exchange Program. Applications are submitted to the partner university, which also makes the final selection decision.

The scholarship is worth €650 a month and can be awarded for up to 10 months.

International students and doctoral students at the University of Bonn can apply for a scholarship from the International Office. The scholarships draw on funds from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and are granted in accordance with the DAAD’s guidelines. If you already receive financial support from the DAAD, further funding is not possible. If you receive funding from other public sources, only a top-up is possible. Worth €650 a month, the scholarships will be awarded for a period of five months from October 01, 2024 onward.

Formal application criteria

Funding is available to students who meet all of the following three criteria:

• Enrolled at the University of Bonn as regular students (i.e. not exchange students)
• Hold foreign citizenship (dual nationals must not hold German citizenship)
• Obtained their university entrance qualification outside Germany

There are three types of scholarship

1. Degree completion scholarship

These scholarships are designed to support international students with good to very good study achievements who are expected to complete their degree program within the next 12 months (counting from the time they receive their funding, i.e. by September 30, 2025).

2. Equal opportunity scholarship

These scholarships are intended to support international students facing special circumstances and challenges as they work on their degree program. Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria in order to be eligible for the scholarship:

• Refugee background
• Recognized disability level of at least 50% or chronic condition
• Caring for children under 18 in their own household (especially single parents)
• Caring for first- and second-degree relatives

3. Scholarship recognizing exceptional voluntary work or community engagement

These scholarships are designed to support international students with good to very good study achievements to date who are in at least their second program-related semester and who do an exceptional amount of voluntary work. This includes supporting and looking after other students as well as helping out at clubs, associations, institutions or other welfare organizations. They must have performed their voluntary work over a period of at least six months.

Application documents

To be in with a chance of a successful application, please complete the application form and upload the following documents as PDF files (compulsory):

• One- to two-page letter of motivation
• Curriculum vitae
• Certificate of enrollment from the current semester (summer semester 2024)
• Transcript of records (excerpt from BASIS)
• Self-declaration on finances: please provide us with some information on your income, specifically your monthly earnings, where they come from (salary, income from public funds, etc.) and your spouse’s income if relevant; although there are no formal requirements for this declaration, you will need to sign and date it
• Confirmation from your examination office or degree program coordinator that you are expected to complete your degree program by September 30, 2025 (compulsory for the degree completion scholarship)
• Evidence of any special circumstances or challenges faced, including a disability or refugee background (compulsory for the equal opportunity scholarship)
• Evidence of any social or community engagement (compulsory for the scholarship recognizing exceptional voluntary work or community engagement)

Uploading any of the following documents is optional:

• Official letter of recommendation from teachers at the University of Bonn

Application deadlines

Submit your applications by August 11, 2024 using the application form.

The new “Bridge Scholarships for Palestinians in Germany” program launched by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is designed to support qualified Palestinians—particularly those from Gaza—who are living in Germany and who are unable to return home due to the current situation, enabling them to embark on or continue their career here in Germany.

With these scholarships, the DAAD is reaching out to Palestinian bachelor’s and master’s students, doctorate holders, postdocs and university professors in all subjects who completed their degree program, an internship forming part of their degree program, their doctorate or a research project in Germany within the past six months (or, at the very latest, by the time they take up their scholarship) and who need support with finding employment on the German education and job market. The funding can also be put toward internships and research projects.

Lasting between one and four months, the bridge scholarships can be taken up from December 2024 at the earliest and must finish by March 2025 at the latest. Applications can be submitted via the online application portal any time between now and October 15, 2024.

The web page for the call for applications provides further important information on the application criteria and procedure. If you have any queries, please email palestinians@daad.de.

Learn more

NRWege ins Studium supports students of the University of Bonn who have a refugee history. We offer monthly scholarships of €300. We also provide counselling on the way to your university degree.

You can apply for this scholarship before your study program has started as long as you are enrolled as a student of the University of Bonn starting from winter term 2024/2025.

If you are not eligible to BAföG we can grant scholarships of up to €934 in individual cases.

Formal conditions for application

• You are considered a refugee in accordance with the program’s specifications: you have received a first decision by the BAMF; you are granted temporary protection or protection on humanitarian grounds; you are holding a residence permit for the purpose of admission from abroad; you are not subject to a final deportation order; you do not hold a settlement permit
• You have received your university entrance qualification (equivalent to Abitur) abroad (not at a German school)
• You have arrived in Germany within the past 5 years. This period can be extended to up to 7 years if you have underage children, if you cared for other family members or if you suffered from illness for a longer period of time. If you took part in NRWege programs or Integra programs before, the time period of 5 years might also be extended

Selection criteria

• Strong motivation for achievement and interest in your subject
• Your achievements so far indicate that you will successfully complete your study program
• Social engagement can be a plus (active membership in an association, social and political engagement, cultural activities)
• You are willing to participate in counselling and activities within the NRWege program

Funding period and amount of funding

• October 2024 to September 2025 with the option of extension (subject to approval by the Ministry of Culture and Science of NRW)
• €300 per month for a scholarship complementing an income of max. €934
• up to €934 per month for full scholarships

Application process and documents

1. Complete the application form and upload the requested application documents
2. Application deadline: September 01, 2024
3. The selection committee will take its decision based on your written application. If you are applying for a full scholarship of €934 we will conduct an interview via zoom
4. Payment of the scholarships will start by October 01, 2024 (retroactively if necessary)

Application documents

• Letter of motivation (one or two pages)
• Curriculum vitae
• Transcript of records (if you are only about to start your study program: certificate of German language skills with grade)
• Certificate of enrollment or letter of admission from the University of Bonn (scholarship can be awarded only after enrollment)
• Copy of residence permit or first BAMF decision
• BAföG decision or proof of application for BAföG
• Informal disclosure, dated and signed, about your general financial situation: monthly funds and its sources (salary, public funding etc.), if applicable income of your spouse
• If applicable, proof of income from sources of public funding other than BAföG (e.g. Bürgergeld)
• If applicable, proof of income from a part-time job or other activities
• If possible, letter of recommendation (if you are in your 4th semester or above a letter of recommendation is mandatory)
• If applicable, proof of your social engagement or outstanding achievements
• If applicable, proof of participation in preparatory courses (e.g. language courses funded by Integra or NRWege)

Questions?

If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact

Dr. Gesine Schiller
nrwege@uni-bonn.de

Apply now!