DHe sits in the morning lecture hall dreaming for a scholarship and writes diligently what the professor is saying. He passed the test with the highest score, volunteering in the afternoon to train children and youth at the sports club, and meeting other students at a debate club in the evening. If he is an architecture student, he is also interested in politics, religion and mathematics. If he works in literature while studying, he has a passion for astronomy, economics and quantum physics away from university.
Most students apply for scholarships from one of twelve talented institutions, including the German National Academic Foundation and the Party-affiliated Foundation. They have one thing in common: after all, they reward outstanding achievements.
The chances of success are similarly low. The Studentistftung des Deutsche Welles, for example, expects not only excellent achievements, but also social commitment – and primarily looking for young people “who are expected to have special achievements in serving the general public based on their talents and personalities”. The selection process is similarly demanding. And the chances of success are slim.
A scholarship for students to sing Jewish songs from Mainz
There are a number of bases that are looking for completely different profiles. For example, “Emil-Freiherr-Marschalk-von-Ostheim’sche-Stiftung Bamberg” provides travel grants only to artists and scientists under the age of 30 and from the former county area of Franconia or Heinberg. There are no other requirements. “Parchham’sche Stiftung zu Lübeck” doesn’t just take high-flyers: its founder, the childless Lবেbeck councilor Henning Parcham, left his property to a foundation that finances Lবেbeck’s students at will.
The “Anton and Helen Gerena Foundation” also has a heart for the people of Lবেbeck, and has no online presence: it supports Lবেbeck students studying in Berlin. There are scholarships for students singing Jewish songs from Mainz, scholarships for students who work with housing culture in their thesis, scholarships for children of Bavarian doctors.
They all have one thing in common: “There is no professional marketing, no high level of awareness and a very small group of students with the right profile,” said Mira Mayer. Witten / Herdecke University graduates have been involved with the scholarship for years and have established two platforms together with his team, which will make it easier for both parties to come together. “Most foundations have very few applicants. Those who match what they are looking for have a better chance, ”said Mira Mayer.
80,000 monthly users on the site
There are countless foundations, especially for work in specific subject areas. The “Letter Foundation”, for example, provides an annual grant to the August Huff, which finances scientific work on artists and art-historical contexts. Prerequisite: The subject should not be researched or just a little research. Those who dedicate their work to the German philosopher Jacob Friedrich Fry have a good chance of receiving a scholarship from the “Fries Foundation”. Archeology students working on the Saxony-Anhalt search can apply for a Daniel Scholarship – and will receive 900 euros a month for a maximum of two years.
Mira Maier founded the “Mystipendium.de” platform a few years ago, which filters the appropriate scholarships individually from about 2100 based on a search query. So far, about 80,000 users use the site every month to find a suitable scholarship. The “e-fellows.net” site, which collaborates with 200 universities and 20 companies and not only offers scholarships but also awards them, operates on the same principle.
New to the market is the EU-wide platform “European-funding-guide.eu”, which sorts the right programs from about 12,000 programs worth a total of 27 billion euros based on search criteria. In the first month, 145,000 users searched the database every month – so the demand is huge. The system works like this: Students fill in the relevant search masks and enter their field of study, their university and other personal characteristics such as financial needs. On this basis, the search engine then filters out about ten to 15 programs.