Merit scholarships for international students enrolled at Universität Hamburg

Follow the link for your chosen application period and log in using your STiNE ID:

Application form (deadline: 15 April)

Application form (deadline: 15 October)

Important note on the application deadline 15 October 2024: The deadline for requesting an appointment to present your residence permit or, for students with EU citizenship, your identity card and the registration certificate of your residence ("Meldebescheinigung") in Germany is Friday, 11 October 2024, 11 a.m.. Appointment requests received after Friday, 11 October 2024, 11 a.m. can no longer be considered, which means that the application will be considered incomplete.

After following the link for your chosen application period and logging in using your STiNE ID, you will be invited to register and to complete your application. Register with your student email address and enter your student email address, not your private email address, in your online application.

You must upload the following documents to the online application portal:

• CV
• letter of motivation: the template form (PDF) must be used
• proof of social and/or intercultural activities (if applicable)
• record of achievements: Students in a Bachelor ´s degree program and students in a degree program concluding with a state examination ("Staatsexamen") need to submit either the STiNE printout of their "Leistungskonto" or a current transcript of records. Students in a Master ´s degree program and doctoral researchers need to submit their most recent degree certificate with grades in either English or German.
• evaluations from 2 full-time teaching staff members with doctorates at Universität Hamburg. Please note the information "Who can issue an evaluation?" in the FAQ. The template evaluation form (PDF) must be used.

The following documents must be presented to the program coordinator before the application deadline:

• Non-EU citizens: your residence permit
• EU citizens: your identity card and your registration certificate of your residence ("Meldebescheinigung") in Germany

Contact the program coordinator by e-mail to arrange an appointment. Your documents will not be stored.

Important note on the application deadline 15 October 2024: The deadline for requesting an appointment to present your residence permit or, for students with EU citizenship, your identity card and the registration certificate of your residence ("Meldebescheinigung") in Germany is Friday, 11 October 2024, 11 a.m.. Appointment requests received after Friday, 11 October 2024, 11 a.m. can no longer be considered, which means that the application will be considered incomplete.

Only applications completed in full and submitted by the application deadline can be considered. Therefore, begin compiling your application documents early and have these ready to upload to the application portal.

Merit scholarships are awarded by a committee comprising members of faculties and ASTA (student council).

Once the selection procedure has been completed, you will receive a notification by e-mail. For an update on the current status of your application, check the online portal.

• good to excellent academic performance
• other verifiable knowledge and capabilities (e.g., presentations, publications, prizes; additional specialised skills); previous funding
• social and/or intercultural activities (e.g., confirmation of volunteer work)
• applicant’s need/social situation

Merit scholarships are disbursed on the first day of each month of funding. Funding commences on 1 October for the application round ending on 15 April and on 1 April of the following year for the application round ending on 15 October.

Scholarships cannot be paid into a foreign bank account. Academic leave is not permitted during the period of funding either.

Can I apply if I have both German and foreign citizenship?

No. You cannot, as you are eligible for BAföG in this case.

Is there an age limit?

No. As of the Winter Semester 2015/16, there are no age restrictions!

Who can issue an evaluation?

For students in a Bachelor ´s or Master ´s degree program or in a degree program concluding with a state examination (Staatsexamen):

• professors and other full-time teaching staff with doctorates at Universität Hamburg
• professors emeriti of Universität Hamburg who are active in teaching
• acting professors (Vertretungsprofessorinnen und Vertretungsprofessoren) at Universität Hamburg
• senior physicians at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (for students in a medical degree program)

For doctoral researchers:

Only evaluations from professors/junior professors are accepted. In the case of a doctorate in a medical subject, evaluations from senior physicians at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf are also accepted.

How can I obtain an evaluation?

Ask 2 professors from your department. Ideally, they should know you well—you attended one of their seminars or wrote a term paper for them, for example. Contact your evaluators at least 6 weeks before you apply for funding to ensure the evaluations are prepared in time. Give them the evaluation template to use.

Will my application be accepted if I only submit 1 evaluation?

No. Your application is only complete when it includes 2 evaluations. 

As a scholarship holder, am I allowed to spend a semester abroad or time outside of Hamburg during the lecture period?

Contact the program coordinator by email if you are planning a longer absence during the lecture period.

Are merit scholarship holders able to apply for further funding?

No, additional funding from other sources is not permitted.

Can the funding be extended?

You can reapply after receiving a one-year scholarship. To do so, you must resubmit all updated documents online by the relevant deadline and present your residence permit, or, if you are an EU citizen, your ID and registration certificate to the program coordinator again. Contact the program coordinator by e-mail to arrange an appointment. Your documents will not be kept. The maximum funding period is 2 years.

Important note on the application deadline 15 October 2024: The deadline for requesting an appointment to present your residence permit or, for students with EU citizenship, your identity card and the registration certificate of your residence ("Meldebescheinigung") in Germany is Friday, 11 October 2024, 11 a.m.. Appointment requests received after Friday, 11 October 2024, 11 a.m. can no longer be considered, which means that the application will be considered incomplete.