Opportunities for student scholarships
A degree is the path to many opportunities, but it also comes at a cost. As well as course materials and books, you need money to pay for food and somewhere to live, or a semester ticket. But there are a variety of ways in which you can fund your time at university. No matter what your financial situation or that of your parents, this way, you have the chance to study.
In addition to financial support, Ulm University of Applied Sciences offers motivated students a range of other funding programs, enabling you to profit from other people's experience in a special network. This can be valuable support for your later career.
You can find out about financial assistance for students during the Covid-19 pandemic on the website Financial assistance for students.
BAföG
The BAföG (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz) supports young people in the pursuit of a qualification appropriate to their abilities and interests, independently of their family's financial situation.
In principle, you have the right to educational funding until the end of the standard period of study. Whether you are eligible for a BAföG depends on whether your financial resources, those of any spouse / registered civil partner and your parents are sufficient to cover your financial needs while you are studying. Only in exceptional cases will your parents' income not be taken into account. Then only your own income and capital, as well as that of any spouse / registered civil partner, will be considered.
An overview of the BAföG:
- Half the BAföG is paid as a grant and the other half as an interest-free loan. The maximum loan repayment is around EUR 10,000. The repayment schedule only starts 5 years after the standard study period has finished Repayment is made in appropriate installments, depending on your income and other factors.
- Those receiving the maximum BAföG for their Bachelor's or Master's studies only have to repay around a fifth of the funding!
- The 26th BAföG amendment came into effect for the 2019/20 Winter Semester. The exemptions and allowances have been increased which means: more money for students! For the 2020/21 Winter Semester the maximum allowance has been increased to EUR 861.
Allowance
|
Not living with parents
|
Living with parents
|
Basic allowance
|
EUR 427
|
EUR 427
|
Accommodation allowance
|
+ EUR 325
|
+ EUR 56
|
Standard allowance
|
= EUR 752
|
= EUR 483
|
Personal insurance supplement
|
|
|
Health insurance
|
+ EUR 84
|
+ EUR 84
|
Long term care insurance
|
+ EUR 25
|
+ EUR 25
|
Maximum allowance
|
= EUR 861
|
= EUR 592
|
The BAföG is paid from the month you submit your application, at the earliest.
To keep within the deadline, you can also submit an application letter (without a special form) either by post, by fax, by DE-Mail or as a scanned copy with your signature in an e-mail attachment.
Here you will find all the necessary forms and a BAföG application checklist. Alternatively you can fill out your BAföG application online, or send your application to bafoeg@stw-ulm.de-mail.de as an encrypted DE-Mail if you have a DE-Mail address.
In connection with the Corona pandemic:
- Can your parents no longer support you as much as they planned to because they’re now on reduced working hours or unemployed? Submit a BAföG update application! Students receiving BAföG support: Achim Meyer auf der Heyde, General Secretary of the German Student Union says that a BaFöG "Aktualisierungsantrag" (update application) is advisable for students whose parents are unable to support them because they've lost their job, are working fewer hours or can just no longer afford it. "Then the calculation is based on the parents' current, lower income, instead of the one from the calendar year before last. The chances of receiving more BAföG increase considerably."
- You used to do without the BAföG, but now you've lost your part-time job? Submit a BAföG application! Students who work to support themselves, who have not until now applied for a BAföG: Meyer auf der Heyde says, "If your part time job is now completely gone, a BAföG application can be a good alternative – especially for students who used to work in preference to receiving what they thought would be a tiny amount of BAföG support."
- The individual normal standard study period has been extended for the 2021 Summer Semester as well! To ease the hardship caused by the Corona pandemic, the normal standard study period has been extended individually by one semester for students who enrolled in the 2020 Summer Semester, the 2020/2021 Winter Semester, or the 2021 Summer Semester, for each of these semesters. The deadline for submission of evidence of your performance has now also been postponed by an additional semester, i.e. it has been postponed by a total of three semesters. The same applies to the maximum period you can receive funding for.
Contact: Studierendenwerk Ulm, Abteilung Studienfinanzierung
Post address: Postfach 4079, 89030 Ulm
Physical address: Söflinger Strasse 70, 89077 Ulm
bafoeg@studierendenwerk-ulm.de
0731 50-252 -46, -47, -48 (Our Service Point information desk is open from 8 am to 3 pm and until 1 pm on Fridays)
BAföG-Live-Chat
Monday – Thursday 7 am – 3 pm, Friday 7 am – 1 pm
https://studierendenwerk-ulm.de
Deutschlandstipendien
Particularly gifted students can apply to the Deutschlandstipendium for financial assistance. This is half financed by the government and half by private benefactors. You can find out more here.
Other scholarships
It is usually high-performing and gifted students who have the opportunity of receiving a scholarship. But students who are strongly committed to something or active in a particular field are also supported. If you are interested in this form of student finance, you should definitely take a good look at the support on offer. In the large organizations for promoting young talent, the scholarship amount usually depends on the BAföG (however without the loan component). Sometimes there are other extras, e.g. money for books, summer schools, networking. Apart from funding for excellence and scholarships which require particular personal attributes or specialist knowledge, there are numerous scholarship programs which anyone can apply for.
You can find out more from the Begabtenförderungswerken, from Mystipendium, from e-fellows.net or the initiative ArbeiterKind.de and from Deutschlandstipendium.
Funding for studying abroad
If you are hoping to spend a semester studying abroad, you can find detailed information about financial support here.
The database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is also useful for finding suitable scholarships for periods abroad.
Upgrading Scholarships – the study support program for those who already have career experience
Qualified specialists – who have done an apprenticeship and already have several years of practical experience – can receive support from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research for their first academic degree. For more detailed information go to https://www.sbb-stipendien.de/aufstiegsstipendium
The SBB Team is on hand to help with any questions you might have regarding your application: aufstieg@sbb-stipendien.de or call us on 0228/62931-43 or -51.
Student loan
From the third semester, Bachelor's students can apply for a student loan (evidence of your performance in the first two semesters is required). Master's students can apply at any time and everyone else from the fifth semester, once they have passed the interim examination. The loan is between EUR 100 and EUR 650 per month, and will be paid for a maximum of 24 months. A single payment is also possible. Your earnings and personal wealth are not taken into account. Repayments start four years from the first payment. Please note: the state-supported student loan is not to be confused with student loans from private companies.
The amount of the loan and all other information can be found at KfW Bankengruppe or on the website of the Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung.
Self-financing
Another option for financing your studies is a part-time job. Many students work alongside studying: some just to survive, others because they want to finance a hobby or go on holiday. Earning your own money feels great and it is always a good idea to gather your first experiences in the world of work while you are still at university. It is often possible to organize your working times flexibly, enabling you to combine your studies and part-time job well.
If you are looking for a job, check out the Ulm University of Applied Sciences Jobportal.
Ulm University of Applied Sciences Jobportal
You can find out more from the Ulm Students' Union (Studierendenwerk).
Mentoring
The Pro!THU association provides mentoring for students on engineering courses with the support of numerous companies from the region. You can submit your application. via the association website. You can also find all you need to know about the mentoring program on the poster (in German).
BayernMentoring
Thanks to the cooperation between the universities of applied sciences in Ulm and Neu-Ulm, students from Ulm also have the opportunity to take part in the Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences' “BayernMentoring” program. Here it makes no difference whether you are doing a course in cooperation with the HNU or not.
MINToring – Support for school pupils
Motivated students of STEM (MINT) subjects become MINTors for school pupils. The MINTors communicate their enthusiasm for STEM subjects, provide information about the range of degree programs on offer and are available with help and advice during the first four semesters. The program, initiated by the Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft, provides guidance for young adults deciding what to study.
