Application

 

Application requirements and disqualifiers

The following persons may apply to receive the scholarship:

• all German and foreign students enrolled at any of the five state colleges that participate in the Studienfonds OWL who are working on their first college career (exception: foreign students may apply for a second college career path if the first college career was abroad)
• all high school students and those interested in pursuing a college education who would like to begin earning their first college degree at one of the five aforementioned colleges in the near future

Requirements for application among these target groups are that they are verifiably in critical financial or personal circumstances that endanger an applicant’s ability to be admitted to college or to continue their college studies and can demonstrate at least satisfactory academic performance in high school or college.

Disqualifiers for application:

• Overlapping of the Social Scholarship and Deutschlandstipendium

You can find out more whether you are eligible for a scholarship in the Sponsorship Guidelines, which contains in full detail the criteria necessary to be sponsored by Studienfonds OWL with a Social Scholarship.

 

Necessary documents and qualifications

• Personal statement (Note: Please read the Guidelines for Your Personal Statement.)
• Résumé
• High school final grade transcript (or the last prior if the final transcript is not yet available. Please mail your final transcript - either scan or foto - as soon as it arrives to info@studienfonds-owl.de). Foreign certifications with grade equivalents for the German school system are needed in the format necessary for your application or enrollment at your college; if you are unsure, please ask your respective college
• College enrollment confirmation, if available, with your current semester of study (Note: For those only beginning their studies, this will be requested at a later time if you are granted the scholarship)
• College grade transcript, if available
• If applicable: Final diploma or transcript of previous college(s) (e.g., if you've changed colleges and/or are beginning a Master's program)
• Confirmations of volunteer-based social involvement (e.g., working at religious institutions, associations, or clubs), distinctions, prizes, stays abroad, other knowledge
• Certifications and confirmation of internships and jobs
• Proof of personal, familial, or health circumstances relevant to your application
• Proof of your financial situation by a statement of cost with supporting documents, i.e. income statements for the last three months (current proof of personal income as well as proof of parents' and/or spouse's income)
• Statement from BAföG (official confirmation from the BAföG offices either that the applicant is not receiving BAföG, e.g., letter of rejection, or of the amount of federal financial aid the applicant is receiving)

Please do not write to faculty members or secretaries regarding the Social Scholarship. Teacher recommendations are neither needed nor desired for the application and will not be considered in the selection process.

 

Instructions for applying

Please confirm the correctness and completeness of your application statements and documents in the online application form. You should know that incorrect statements can lead to revocation of financial support and furthermore, to a repayment of already granted financial means.

In addition, you have to confirm the privacy notice in the Guide to Applying for the Social Scholarship as well as our Sponsorship Guidelines of the Social Scholarship within the online application.

 

Information about the selection process

Selection process

Studienfonds OWL accepts the applications and checks to see if they fulfill the formal criteria. Next, all applications are assessed and evaluated by the relevant selection committee. Applicants’ data is treated confidentially. Please also read the ‘Privacy notice’ in the Guide to Applying for the Social Scholarship.

The selection committee for the Social Scholarships is composed of five students from the five colleges that participate in the Studienfonds OWL. The committee examines the applications sent to them and recommends the applicants they consider most qualified to the foundation board. Based on the recommendations, the board finally decides which students it will grant scholarships to. The applicants are then notified in writing by the office of the results.

Application interviews do not take place.

Selection criteria

The most important criteria for granting this need-based scholarship is pressing financial or personal need or hardship that endangers an applicant’s ability to begin or continue their college studies.

Severe disability also qualifies as a hardship; those severely disabled will be favored in cases of otherwise equal eligibility. Applicants’ social involvement is considered of secondary importance in the selection process.