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The German Academic Scholarship Foundation (German: , or ''Studienstiftung'' for short) is Germany's largest and most prestigious scholarship foundation. According to its statutes, it supports "the university education of young people who, on account of their exceptional academic or artistic talents and their personalities, can be expected to make an outstanding contribution to society as a whole". The ''Studienstiftung'' is non-political, non-denominational and ideologically independent. Its headquarters are located in Bonn; it also has an office in Berlin. The current president is Reinhard Zimmermann, and the
President of Germany The president of Germany, officially the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: link=no, Bundespräsident der Bundesrepublik Deutschland),The official title within Germany is ', with ' being added in international corres ...
,
Frank-Walter Steinmeier Frank-Walter Steinmeier (; born 5 January 1956) is a German politician serving as President of Germany since 19 March 2017. He was previously Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2017, as well as Vice Chan ...
, is patron ('). The ''Studienstiftung,'' like 12 other scholarship foundations (), is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, with funds from the federal government, the German federal states and local authorities, numerous foundations and businesses as well as numerous private donors. In 2015, the ''Studienstiftung's'' budget was over €103 million. Between 1925 and 2015, it has supported over 65,000 students and doctoral candidates; , it had over 60,000 alumni worldwide. The selection process is extremely rigorous and only those students who show outstanding academic and personal promise are chosen. The Studienstiftung awards scholarships to fewer than 0.5% of German students. It is often referred to as Germany's "secret elite university". Initially founded in Dresden in 1925 as a department of the
Deutsche Studentenschaft The German Student Union (german: Deutsche Studentenschaft, abbreviated ''DSt'') from 1919 until 1945, was the merger of the general student committees of all German universities, including Danzig, Austria and the former German universities i ...
, an amalgamation of German student committees, the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes was dissolved in 1934 under
National Socialism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Naz ...
and replaced by the "Reichsförderung", a department of the newly founded Reichsstudentenwerk. The Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes was newly formed as a registered association in Cologne in 1948.


Admission

The Studienstiftung offers a general scholarship for bachelor's and master's studies that consists of both financial and academic support. Eligibility is based on the criteria for BAFöG, the German state support system for students. The Studienstiftung scholarship accepts only applicants that study full time at university. A part of an applicant's university studies must be at a university in Germany, in another EU country, or in Switzerland. German or EU citizenship are not required, and there are no age criteria. The Studienstiftung accepts exceptionally talented students and doctoral candidates selected in accordance with its mission statement, which is based upon the principles of "excellence, initiative and responsibility". Scholarship holders (scholars) are admitted through various channels: # Nomination by a school: The principal of a high school or school with an upper secondary level can nominate one in 50 senior students for admission to the Studienstiftung. This student must excel both academically and in terms of social commitment. Nominated students attend a three-day selection seminar where their eligibility for funding is assessed in individual interviews and group discussions. 23.8% of students nominated in 2015 were offered admission to the Studienstiftung. There is no set admissions quota for the number of students admitted each year. # Nomination by professors: Students at universities and universities of applied science can be nominated directly by university teachers. Again, candidates attend a selection seminar. In 2015, 48.3% of students nominated by their professors were offered admission to the Studienstiftung. # Nomination by an examination board: Just as students can be nominated by schools, one in every 50 students in the second academic year in his/her respective study programme can be nominated by universities and universities of applied science. The nomination must be supported by a professor. The selection seminar is organised along the same lines as the selection seminar for students nominated by schools. In this case, however, the candidate's proven academic achievements at university also carry weight. In 2015, 28.8% of nominees were offered admission. # Winners of a national or federal competition or nomination by select cooperation partners: Winners of or participants in various competitions on a national, federal or international level (e.g. Bundeswettbewerb Informatik, Bundeswettbewerb Mathematik, Bundeswettbewerb Fremdsprachen, Jugend forscht, Jugend debattiert, Internationale Mathematik-Olympiade, Internationale Physik-Olympiade, Altsprachenwettbewerb des Landes Baden-Württemberg) may be offered admission to the Studienstiftung. Select cooperation partners (e.g. START-Stiftung) may also nominate potential sponsorship candidates. # Since February 2010, candidates can also put themselves forward for a scholarship. First and second-semester students can sign up for the Studienstiftung assessment test in January/February/March each year. The test is held at test centres throughout Germany. The applicants with the best results are invited to attend the selection seminar. While the assessment test determines applicants' cognitive abilities, the selection seminar focuses on motivation, extracurricular interests, social commitment and social skills, which are assessed in personal interviews and group discussions. # Nomination by alums: Studienstiftung alums may also nominate students who they consider appropriate, having taught them personally in school or university courses. # Support of musicians and artists: After an internal pre-selection procedure, universities can nominate students of the fine arts, music and the performing arts for participation in a Studienstiftung selection seminar. If admission occurs before the end of the fourth semester, sponsorship is usually granted until the end of the sixth semester. An extension of the scholarship beyond the sixth semester usually depends on academic performance in the first four semesters. In borderline cases, aspects other than academic achievements – such as exceptional social engagement or particular personal circumstances – may positively influence the decision to approve further funding. After an application has been approved, funding is awarded from the 6th semester until studies are completed (for example, until the master's degree or state examinations have been completed). In 2014, 91% of requests for further funding were approved. The Studienstiftung also offers a doctoral scholarship for highly qualified and prosocial PhD students. The doctoral scholarship accepts applications from doctoral candidates at universities in Germany and at universities worldwide under certain conditions.


Scholarships


General scholarship for undergraduate, graduate and PhD students

The general Studienstiftung scholarship consists of both financial and academic support.


Financial support

Financial support includes an allowance (€300 monthly). Scholars can receive a need-based basic scholarship, which is calculated according to the BAföG ( Federal Training Assistance Act) and can be up to €744 per month. PhD scholars receive a monthly award of €1,350 plus a research allowance of €100. Additional funds are provided for students and PhD students with children. Financial support is regulated by the guidelines of the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Visits abroad are also supported by grants or overseas allowances and the partial payment of tuition fees. Under the terms of No. 11 Einkommensteuergesetz (EStG – German Income Tax Law) scholarship payments are tax-free.


Academic support

The Studienstiftung's academic support includes
summer schools Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...
, research groups,
language courses Language education – the process and practice of teaching a second or foreign language – is primarily a branch of applied linguistics, but can be an interdisciplinary field. There are four main learning categories for language education: ...
,
workshop Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the ...
s and mentoring by local tutors, academics who carry out this task for the Studienstiftung on a voluntary basis. Scholars are required to submit a report on their studies and other activities every semester during the first semesters (usually until the end of the fourth semester), and once a year thereafter. Scholars can also apply for funding in order to organise their own conferences and other events. Studienstiftung offers yearly two-week subsidised summer academies which are its "central event format" for scholarship holders. Scholars themselves can also organise shorter academies and benefit from similar subsidisation. For instance, queer scholarship holders have been making use of this possibility to organise annual meetings since 2001.


Internal scholarship programmes

In addition to its regular scholarship scheme, the Studienstiftung offers internal scholarship programmes for selected scholars and alumni. Examples include the KAUST-Studienstiftung programme, a joint partnership between the Saudi Arabian King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Studienstiftung under the patronage of the
German Federal Foreign Office , logo = DEgov-AA-Logo en.svg , logo_width = 260 px , image = Auswaertiges Amt Berlin Eingang.jpg , picture_width = 300px , image_caption = Entrance to the Foreign Office building , headquarters = Werderscher Mark ...
which allows scholars from the STEM disciplines to join KAUST for research internships or to enrol in Master or PhD programs. In the musical field, for example, in cooperation with the
Beethoven House The Beethoven House ( German: ''Beethoven-Haus'') in Bonn, Germany, is a memorial site, museum and cultural institution serving various purposes. Founded in 1889 by the Beethoven-Haus association, it studies the life and work of composer Ludwig va ...
residence scholarships are awarded for young composers.


Open scholarship programmes

Moreover, the Studienstiftung offers open scholarship programmes, which are run and financed in cooperation with other organisations. They include the McCloy Academic Scholarship Program, the ERP-Stipendienprogramm and the Carlo-Schmid-Programm. Participation in these scholarship programmes does not require previously holding a regular scholarship by the Studienstiftung. Since 2005 the Studienstiftung has also been running the Max Weber scholarship for students in
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, introduced by the regional () administration via the Bavarian Elite Support Act (BayEFG).


Statistics

* In 2020, the Studienstiftung approved 2,898 scholarships and 362 doctoral scholarships.:109,120 * , 71.1% of scholars received a study expense allowance of €300, 18.8% received a partial need-based scholarship, and 10.1% the maximum need-based scholarship.:114 * 52.7% of scholars were women.:112


Notable alums


Natural sciences

* Martin Beneke, physicist,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
2008 *
Manfred Eigen Manfred Eigen (; 9 May 1927 – 6 February 2019) was a German biophysical chemist who won the 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on measuring fast chemical reactions. Eigen's research helped solve major problems in physical chemistry and ...
, Nobel prize chemistry 1962, president of the Studienstiftung 1982–1993 * Gerd Faltings, mathematician,
Fields medal The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians under 40 years of age at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that takes place every four years. The name of the award h ...
1986 * Reinhard Genzel, Nobel prize physics 2020 * Magdalena Götz, biologist,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
2007 *
Robert Huber Robert Huber (; born 20 February 1937) is a German biochemist and Nobel laureate. known for his work crystallizing an intramembrane protein important in photosynthesis and subsequently applying X-ray crystallography to elucidate the protein's st ...
, Nobel prize chemistry 1988 *
Joachim Frank Joachim Frank () (born September 12, 1940) is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University and a Nobel laureate. He is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he shared the Nobel Prize ...
, Nobel prize chemistry 2017 * J. Hans D. Jensen, Nobel prize physics 1963 * Wolfgang Ketterle, Nobel prize physics 2001 *
Christian Keysers Christian Keysers is a French and German neuroscientist. Education and career He finished his school education at the European School, Munich and studied psychology and biology at the University of Konstanz, the Ruhr University Bochum, Unive ...
, neuroscientist * Wolfgang Lück, mathematician,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
2008 * Jochen Mannhart, physicist,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
2008 * Erwin Neher, Nobel prize medicine 1991 * Felix Otto, mathematician,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
2006 *
Peter Scholze Peter Scholze (; born 11 December 1987) is a German mathematician known for his work in arithmetic geometry. He has been a professor at the University of Bonn since 2012 and director at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics since 2018. He ha ...
, mathematician,
Fields medal The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians under 40 years of age at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that takes place every four years. The name of the award h ...
2018 *
Bernhard Schölkopf Bernhard Schölkopf is a German computer scientist (born 20 February 1968) known for his work in machine learning, especially on kernel methods and causality. He is a director at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen, ...
, computer scientist,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
2018 *
Detlef Weigel Detlef Weigel (born 1961 in Lower Saxony, Germany) is a German American scientist working at the interface of developmental and evolutionary biology. Education Weigel was an undergraduate in biology and chemistry at the universities of Biele ...
, biologist,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
2007


Social sciences

*
Ulrich Beck Ulrich Beck (15 May 1944 – 1 January 2015) was a German sociologist, and one of the most cited social scientists in the world during his lifetime. His work focused on questions of uncontrollability, ignorance and uncertainty in the modern ...
, sociologist * Dirk Kaesler, sociologist *
Ulrike Malmendier Ulrike M. Malmendier (born 1973) is a German economist who is currently a professor of economics and finance at the University of California, Berkeley. Her work focuses on behavioral economics, corporate finance, and law and economics. In 2013 ...
, economist * Ulrike Müßig, legal historian *
Stephan Reimertz Stephan Reimertz (born 4 March 1962) is a German poet, essayist, novelist and art historian. Life Born in Aachen, Germany, Reimertz is the grandnephew of Nikolaus Groß, resistance fighter in the 20th July plot against Hitler. His grandfather ...
, art historian * Ernst-Ludwig von Thadden, economist * Michèle Tertilt, economist,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
2019 * Reinhard Zimmermann, legal historian,
Leibniz prize The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (german: link=no, Förderpreis für deutsche Wissenschaftler im Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Programm der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft), in short Leibniz Prize, is awarded by the German Research Foundation to ...
1996 (Studienstiftung president 2011–)


Business and NGOs

* Andreas von Bechtolsheim, co-founder Sun Microsystems * Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the board of management of Daimler AG * Alexander Dibelius, managing director, Germany, Goldman Sachs * Frank Mattern, head of the German Office, McKinsey and Company


Politics and civil service

*
Fritz Kuhn Fritz Kuhn (born 29 June 1955) is a German politician who served as Mayor of Stuttgart from 2012 until 2021. He was co-chairman of Alliance '90/The Greens, the German Green party, in 2002 and its parliamentary group from 2002 to 2013. Early li ...
, politician, co-chairman of
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a green political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens (formed in West Germany in 1980) and Alliance 90 (f ...
, the German Green Party, from June 2000 to December 2002 * Andreas Paulus, judge at the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany *
Frauke Petry Frauke Petry (; ; born 1 June 1975) is a German politician who chaired the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party from July 2015 to September 2017. A chemist by training and with a professional background as a businesswoman, some political scientist ...
, politician and former chair of the
Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist * * * * * * * political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. ...
*
Karl Schiller Karl August Fritz Schiller (24 April 1911 – 26 December 1994) was a German economist and politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). From 1966 to 1972, he was Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and from 1971 to 1972 Federal Minister o ...
, politician and scientist, former Federal Minister of Finance of Germany *
Gesine Schwan Gesine Schwan (née ''Schneider'', 22 May 1943) is a German political science professor and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The party has nominated her twice as a candidate for the federal presidential elections. On 23 May 2004, ...
, professor, SPD-candidate for the office of the federal president, 2004 *
Steffen Seibert Steffen Rüdiger Seibert (born 7 June 1960 in Munich) is a German journalist who served as head of the German Federal Government's Press and Information Office and as the German government's spokesperson from 2010 to 2021. During his tenure, Seib ...
, journalist, former government spokesman and head of the Press and Information Office of Germany *
Robert Tillmanns Robert Tillmanns (April 5, 1896 in Barmen – November 12, 1955 in Berlin) was a German politician. From 1953 to 1955 he was Federal Minister for Special Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. Life and work After the Abitur in 1914, ...
, politician, former Federal Minister of Germany * Christine Teusch, politician, Minister of Education of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1947 to 1954, and as such the first female Minister in Germany *
Antje Vollmer Antje Vollmer (born 31 May 1943) is a German politician of the Alliance 90/The Greens. From 1994 to 2005, she was one of the vice presidents of the German parliament, the ''Bundestag''. Education and early career Vollmer was born in Lübbec ...
, politician, until 2005 vice-president of the German parliament


Arts

* Mechthild Bach, soprano *
Hans-Jürgen von Bose Hans-Jürgen von Bose (born 24 December 1953 in Munich) is a German composer. Life After an unsettled adolescence, Bose entered the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt in 1969, where he received instruction in piano and music theory. Upon graduati ...
, professor, composer * Hans Breder, professor, artist * Christa Dichgans, writer *
Moritz Eggert Moritz Eggert (born 25 November 1965 in Heidelberg) is a German composer and pianist. Life Moritz Eggert began his studies in piano and composition in 1975 at Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium in Frankfurt (with Wolfgang Wagenhaeuser and Claus Küh ...
, composer, pianist * Hans Magnus Enzensberger, writer * Justus Frantz, pianist * Anna Gourari, pianist *
Horst Janssen Horst Janssen (14 November 192931 August 1995) was a German draftsman, printmaker, poster artist and illustrator. He had a prolific output of drawings, etchings, woodcuts, lithographs and wood engravings. Janssen was a student of Alfred Mahlau ...
, artist *
Bas Kast Bas Kast (born 1973 in Landau, residence in Rottendorf) is a German science writer. He studied psychology and biology at the University of Konstanz and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Working as a freelancer first for the German ...
, writer *
Heinz Rudolf Kunze Heinz Rudolf Erich Arthur Kunze (born 30 November 1956, in Espelkamp-Mittwald, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German writer and rock singer. His greatest hit was ''Dein ist mein ganzes Herz'' (not to be confused with the homonymous song from the op ...
, singer and composer *
Michael Kunze Michael Rolf Kunze (born 9 November 1943, in Prague) is a foremost German musical theater lyricist and librettist. He is best known for the hit musicals '' Elisabeth'' (1992), '' Dance of the Vampires'' (1996), '' Mozart!'' (1999), ''Marie Antoi ...
, librettist and translator * Igor Levit, pianist *
Frei Otto Frei Paul Otto (; 31 May 1925 – 9 March 2015) was a German architect and structural engineer noted for his use of lightweight structures, in particular tensile and membrane structures, including the roof of the Olympic Stadium in Munich for t ...
, architect *
Matthias Pintscher Matthias Pintscher (born 29 January 1971) is a German composer and conductor. As a youth, he studied the violin and conducting. Life and career Pintscher was born in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia. He began his music studies with Giselher Klebe in ...
, composer * Philipp Tingler, writer, journalist and economist * Juli Zeh, writer


Journalism

*
Petra Gerster Petra Gerster [] (born 25 January 1955) is a German journalist and news presenter. Early life and education Starting in 1973, Gerster studied German studies, Slavic studies, and literature with a grant of the German Academic Scholarship Founda ...
, journalist *
Claus Kleber Claus-Detlev Walter Kleber (born 2 September 1955 in Reutlingen) is a German journalist and former lawyer. He anchored ''heute-journal'', an evening news program on ZDF, one of Germany's two major public TV stations. He is also known for his ex ...
, journalist, anchor of the "heute-journal" *
Ulrike Meinhof Ulrike Marie Meinhof (7 October 1934 – 9 May 1976) was a German left-wing journalist and founding member of the Red Army Faction (RAF) in West Germany, commonly referred to in the press as the "Baader-Meinhof gang". She is the reputed author ...
, editor, subsequently member of the Red Army Faction (RAF) *
Frank Schirrmacher Frank Schirrmacher (5 September 1959 – 12 June 2014) was a German journalist, literature expert and essayist, writer, and from 1994 co-publisher of the national German newspaper ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung''. Education After studying G ...
, journalist


See also

* Swiss Study Foundation (Schweizerische Studienstiftung) *
National Merit Scholarship Program The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a privately funded, not-for-profit organizati ...
in the United States


Notes


References


Further reading

* Nik Afanasjew
''RAF und die Studienstiftung: Aus Stipendiaten wurden Terroristen.''
In: ''Der Tagesspiegel.'' 3. Oktober 2011. *Anant Agarwala
''Wie sich die Stipendiaten der Studienstiftung ändern.''
Die Spitze wird bunter, in: ''Die Zeit 21/2016.'' * Zentrum für Evaluation und Methoden (ZEM) der Universität Bonn: Evaluierung des Auswahlverfahrens der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes e.V., Bonn 2012.


External links


Alumni der Studienstiftung e.V.
{{Authority control Scholarships in Germany Education in Germany Organisations based in Bonn Government scholarships