Complete guide for scholarship seekers

What Are the Benefits of a Scholarship?

Financial support is an essential component of a scholarship: it should make life and career easier for deserving and/or needy researchers. Students who benefit from it receive monthly payments for living expenses, as well as grants for books, health insurance, long-term care, or childcare.

Nevertheless, a scholarship isn't just about money. Many foundations also offer comprehensive support: seminars, conferences, vacation academies, language courses, continuing education opportunities, internship offers. These are additional educational opportunities.

There are also mentoring programs and meetings with former scholarship holders. This exchange is not only interesting but can also be very useful. As a result, a scholarship brings not only monetary but also professional benefits — in the form of friends, contacts, and networking opportunities.

Last but not least, another advantage of a scholarship is the message it sends. A scholarship is an extra point on your CV that shows motivation and commitment.

Who Awards Scholarships?

Many foundations offer scholarships according completely different criteria. We've listed some scholarship portals and providers as follows:

• Stipendien Lotse
• My Stipendium
• e-fellows
• Deutschlandstipendium
• DAAD Database
• Friedrich Ebert Foundation
• Friedrich Naumann Foundation
• Heinrich Böll Foundation
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation
• Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

How Can I Find the Right Scholarship?

• You can start your search by combining your search query with a keyword such as "German scholarship" or specifying the field by adding a keyword such as "computer science". The search engine will then give you hundreds of results from which you can choose. But to find the "right" scholarship, you need to choose those that match your profile in terms of major or academic achievements, financial needs, etc. It would be better to apply to two or three foundations where you meet the requirements — with a carefully prepared file — than to send ten hasty applications.
• There are other points of contact within the universities themselves, many of which maintain scholarship units not only to organize the awarding of university scholarships, but also to advise students on new funding opportunities. You can sometimes ask your professors for more information and some advice. To apply for and request a scholarship, you'll still need a recommendation from a university professor.

How Can I Increase My Chances of Getting a Scholarship?

Getting a scholarship is easier than you think.

On one hand, the equation "scholarship = program for talent" isn't correct. Besides the gifted foundations that require very good grades, there are also other scholarship providers who cater to the needs of applicants or support specific groups such as migrants — academic results and exam performance play no role or a subordinate role in this case. Others select their scholarship holders based on field of study or country of origin.

On the other hand, "program for talent" doesn't mean that a certain level of university entrance qualification or IQ is required. Even the gifted foundations don't specify a fixed upper limit for the level. Many of those who don't even think about applying for a scholarship would certainly have a chance because their grades are sufficient or because they can succeed with personal commitment.

Anyone who has applied for a scholarship must invest their time and efforts properly. This requires more than compiling application documents, recommendations, CV, and the cover letter. Instead of sending a standard application to multiple foundations, you should think more carefully about which foundation to send your request to and prepare well. First of all, candidates must become aware of their own ideas, strengths, and weaknesses: think about what your profile looks like, then search for the foundations that suit you. Conversations with scholarship holders or former scholarship holders can help in this case. If you don't know anyone, you can use Facebook or visit university groups, which can inform you about the largest foundations at many universities.

Moreover, candidates must research the requirements and admission criteria required by many smaller foundations. The chances there are often higher: due to their low profile, foundations sometimes don't even receive enough applications. On the other hand, the role they play is often so narrow that competition is very low.

What Do I Need to Apply for a Scholarship?

What's required for a scholarship application is defined by the scholarship provider — and expectations vary widely. Generally, foundations expect to receive a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a recommendation from your professor or university, diplomas or a previous transcript of records, and application forms that you can download online before filling them in.

A recommendation letter must be written by your professor or university, but as a candidate, you have some influence because you choose wisely a professor who knows you well and believes you're competent enough to apply. A candidate receives a good evaluation if an assessment on three aspects ranks them as particularly deserving of support — in terms of achievements, commitment, and personality.

In any case, the evaluator will find it useful if the candidate provides them with a CV and any certificate they can use for orientation. They should be informed about previous results, about interesting tasks or projects, as well as additional qualifications such as study abroad stays or internships and work as a tutor or on the student council.

The cover letter is perhaps the most difficult part of the scholarship application: you have little experience, you don't know what to expect, and you're sitting in front of the screen without any preparation — it's quite confusing, isn't it? If you write a cover letter, you should not only have thought about the target foundation, its mission statement, and its program, but also about yourself: why do you want a scholarship? Why this particular foundation? And why did this foundation catch your attention?

What's the Importance of a Scholarship for Tax Returns and Health Insurance (Krankenversicherung)?

For Tax Returns:

A scholarship is tax-exempt if the following conditions are met:

• The holders must be students who specialize or conduct research in science or art.
• The scholarships must be awarded by a public/governmental institution or foundation.
• The amount of the scholarship must be sufficient only to cover living expenses, no more.
• Last but not least, scholarship holders are not subject to any employment restrictions or any other obligations.
• In the case of doctoral or postdoctoral students, the tax exemption is only possible if they're not subject to any obligations set by the providing companies or institutions. Moreover, the research cannot last more than 10 years. Otherwise, the scholarships will be taxed.

For Health Insurance:

In most cases, a scholarship is a one-time or regular payment to cover living expenses or certain other special expenses. However, it's not considered income, because foundations don't pay pensions, unemployment benefits, or health insurance for their scholarship holders, just as beneficiaries don't have to pay social security contributions. That's why scholarship holders must pay for health insurance themselves. However, scholarship providers sometimes pay up to 62€ per month as a contribution to health insurance, depending on the financial situation of the beneficiaries.