Scholarships & Funding
Where to find scholarships, grants, and funding as a student — and how to write an application that stands out.
Funding exists for students at every level — the gap is usually awareness, not eligibility. Most scholarships go unclaimed because students assume they would not qualify or do not know where to look.
1. Understand the main types of student funding
| Type | What it is | Repayment |
|---|---|---|
| Scholarship (merit/need) | Award based on academic merit, social commitment, or financial need | None |
| Grant | Often project- or topic-based; given by foundations, governments, or universities | None |
| BAföG (Germany) | State support for students in financial need | 50% loan, 50% grant |
| Student loan | Borrowed money — national or private | Yes, with interest |
| Erasmus+ / exchange grants | EU mobility funding for study or internship abroad | None |
| Research assistant (HiWi) | Paid part-time work at your university | N/A — employment |
Start with non-repayable sources before borrowing. Scholarships and grants are underused precisely because the application feels daunting.
2. Where to find scholarships
- DAAD (daad.de) — the largest German scholarship database; covers both Germany-based and international students.
- Stipendienlotse (stipendienlotse.de) — German federal government matching tool; enter your profile, get a personalised list.
- Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes — Germany's most prestigious general scholarship; nomination-based but self-application is also possible.
- Political foundations (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, etc.) — each has its own scholarship programme, open to students who share the foundation's broad values.
- Erasmus+ — if studying in Europe, check your international office; mobility grants are widely available and often under-subscribed.
- Your subject's professional association — engineering, law, medicine, journalism and many other fields have discipline-specific foundations.
- Your university's financial aid office — many universities have emergency funds and internal grants not listed publicly.
3. Check eligibility before you self-select out
Students routinely assume they are not eligible without checking. Common misconceptions:
- "My grades are not good enough." Many scholarships are not merit-only; some prioritise social commitment, artistic talent, or first-generation-student status.
- "I am an international student." Many foundations explicitly fund international students; DAAD is dedicated to it.
- "My subject is too niche." Niche subjects sometimes have less competition for the same pool of money.
Read the actual eligibility criteria. You may be surprised.
4. Write a strong motivation letter
The motivation letter is usually the deciding factor. What reviewers look for:
- A specific answer to "why you?" — not "I am passionate about my subject" (everyone says this) but a concrete story that shows it.
- Clarity about what you will do with the funding — how it enables something specific, not just "continue my studies."
- Evidence of the values the scholarship rewards — if the foundation values social engagement, cite a concrete project, not a vague commitment.
Tip: write the letter in reverse. Start with what you want the reader to remember after one minute, then build backward to support that impression. This forces a clear core message instead of a chronological life summary.
5. Apply to several and apply early
Scholarship applications take longer than expected. Start the strongest candidates at least two months before the deadline. Most foundations publish results weeks after closing — you have time to apply to multiple in sequence or in parallel. Rejection from one tells you nothing about your chances with another; the committees and criteria differ significantly.
Related guides on student-online cover time management for students and choosing a thesis topic.