How to apply for the Deutschlandstipendium

Information for International Students

The Deutschlandstipendium supports committed and high-achieving students "who, based on their previous engagement and personal background—taking into account social, family, and personal circumstances—demonstrate great potential and are expected to achieve outstanding academic or professional performance, or have already done so." The scholarship is independent of BAföG (state financial aid) or the applicant’s financial situation. However, students who already receive talent- or merit-based financial support from a public or publicly funded institution in Germany or abroad exceeding €30 per month are not eligible for the Deutschlandstipendium. Doctoral students and students enrolled in continuing education programs are also unfortunately not eligible for funding.

You can apply for a Deutschlandstipendium at the University of Trier if you are:

• a currently enrolled student,
• a first-year student,
• a prospective student applying from outside the university,
• an international student enrolled at the university,
• a student pursuing a second degree.

A complete application includes the completion of all required fields in the online application form and the upload of the following documents in PDF format:

Mandatory documents for all applicants:

• a tabular curriculum vitae,
• a certificate of university entrance qualification (e.g., high school diploma),
• a transcript of academic records for applicants who have been enrolled at the University of Trier for more than one semester (PORTA grade report; for students in Faculty V: proof of course certificates),
• a certificate of enrollment (if you already have the enrollment certificate for the upcoming winter semester, please upload that one; otherwise, upload your current one. If none is available yet, it can be submitted later).

For master’s program applicants:

• the certificate of the first university degree.

The following documents can further support your application and may also be uploaded as PDF files:

• a statement of motivation (max. 2 pages),
• evidence of social, community, or family involvement,
• documentation of any circumstances that have negatively impacted your educational path (e.g., disability, pregnancy, migration background).

Selection Procedure at the University of Trier

Selection Process and Decision

Based on the submitted documents and in accordance with the defined criteria, the scholarship selection committee selects the applicants. The primary criterion for awarding the scholarship is the expectation of particularly strong academic performance. However, in assessing each applicant's overall potential, the selection criteria outlined in § 2 (2) of the Scholarship Ordinance (StipV) are also taken into account. To help applicants realize their potential and to support highly motivated young people in deciding to pursue a university degree or a master's program, the financial need of the applicant is given special consideration under the criteria specified in § 2 (2) No. 3 StipV.

The projected number of scholarships available at the University of Trier for the 2025/26 award year is 65, of which 15 scholarships are currently earmarked for specific disciplines or study programs (including 4 scholarships for Faculty IV and 1 for Nursing Science).

Data Protection Information – Deutschlandstipendium

Data protection information can be found here.

Statistics / Evaluation / Anonymization

In accordance with § 13 of the German Scholarship Program Act (Stipendienprogramm-Gesetz), we are required to transmit anonymized scholarship recipient data to the Federal Statistical Office for the purpose of compiling national statistics. This is done under a pseudonym, meaning your name is not disclosed.

Random Checks to Prevent Double Funding

In accordance with § 4 (2) of the StipG, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) conducts random checks using the data of funded students to prevent cases of double funding. For this purpose, the BMBF may request, store, and compare individual scholarship recipients’ first and last names, date of birth, address, and university location with data from other funding organizations. The university is legally required to transmit this data. Once the sampling process is complete, the data is destroyed.