Scholarships at the University of Hildesheim: Universität Hildesheim

Deutschlandstipendium

The Deutschlandstipendium is awarded to particularly high-achieving students at the University of Hildesheim.

Scholarship holders are supported with a pledge of 300 euros per month.
The Deutschlandstipendium is equally funded by the German government and private sponsors. This funding of young people is possible through the support of companies, foundations and private sponsors.
In addition to the financial support, scholarship holders can participate in the concurrent programm within the framework of the Minerva-Kolleg.

For more information about the Deutschlandstipendium, please refer to the concurrent statutes and the following link: Deutschlandstipendium.

Deutschlandstipendium sponsored by the E.W. Kuhlmann Stiftung for students in the final stage of their studies

If you complete your studies in the course of the 2023/24 funding period, you can still apply for a Deutschlandstipendium sponsored by the E.W. Kuhlmann Stiftung (11 in total). To do so, please use the regular spplication portal and indicate your excpected graduation date in the field provded (mandatory!).

Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium

Change from the 2023/24 funding period onwards!
Starting with the winter semester 2023/24, the University of Hildesheim will award up to 25 Lore Auerbach scholarships per year to students with exceptional commitment at the university.

Scholarship holders are supported with a pledge of 200 euros per month.
This scholarship program is aimed at students who, in addition to good to very good academic achievements, have demonstrated outstanding commitment at the University of Hildesheim itself and/or in its immediate environment. The new format of the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium is financed solely from the university's budget.
In addition to the financial support, scholarship holders can participate in the concurrent programm within the framework of the Minerva-Kolleg.

Previously, up to 50 Lore Auerbach scholarships with a funding amount of 600 euros per semester had been awarded annually since the 2011/12 winter term 2011/12. Its core focus was on special social engagement.

Note: It is possible to apply for the Deutschlandstipendium and the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium at the same time, but you can only apply for the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium if you have already studied at the University of Hildesheim for at least one term. You can only be accepted into one of the two programs at most.

The Minerva-Kolleg

In 2007, the Minerva-Kolleg was initiated to strengthen the bond between the university and its students. As the first scholarship program of the University of Hildesheim, up to the 2022/23 funding period scholarship holders were supported with a pledge of 600 euros per semester.
As of the 2023/24 funding period , the Minerva-Kolleg will continue to exist as a concurrent program to the scholarships to not only support the scholarship holders financially, but to promote their personal development as well.

Dates and Events during the 2023/24 Funding Period

The following dates and events have already been set for the 2023/24 funding period:

23.11.2023: Scholarship Award Ceremony

Award Criteria

The scholarships are awarded on the basis of a ranking compiled for each department on the basis of the application documents. The evaluation is divided into three categories: Academic Performance, (Voluntary) Commitment, and Family Background. Depending on the scholarship program, the individual criteria are weighted differently in the final ranking (see figure on the right).

Academic Performance

The evaluation of academic performance is based on the currently achieved credit points and the preliminary grade from the submitted Transcript of Records. If no Transcript of Records is available for the current study program, grades and credit points are taken from the previous study program.

For the Deutschlandstipendium, 75% of the final ranking is based on Academic Performance.

For the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium, 50% of the final ranking is based on Academic Performance.

(Voluntary) Commitment

(Voluntary) commitment will be evaluated on the basis of the documents submitted with the application (CV, letter of motivation, certificates, or similar).

For the Deutschlandstipendium, 15% of the final ranking is based on (Voluntary) Commitment.

For the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium, 40% of the final ranking is based on (Voluntary) Commitment.

Family Background

For the family background, special social, relational or personal circumstances are taken into account, such as those resulting from a non-academic parentage or a migration background.

For both the Deutschlandstipendium and the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium, 10% of the final ranking is based on Family Background.

Weighting of the Award Criteria (in percent)

The Application Process at a Glance

The application period for the 2023/24 funding period will take place from 01.06.2023 - 30.06.2023. The application is submitted online via an application form. On 30.06.2023 the application portal will close at 24:00. After that, applications can no longer be submitted. Only applications received in time and with correct formalities will be considered.

It is possible to apply for the Deutschlandstipendium and the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium at the same time. You can only be accepted into one of the two programs at most.

The selection which of the scholarship programs you would like to apply for by choosing "YES" in the corresponding fields. Consider the individual profiles of the scholarship programs and then decide for which scholarship program(s) you are applying. Then fill in all fields according to the question. Fields with a dark gray background are mandatory fields.

Documents to be submitted

At the end of the application form you have to upload different documents. Please ensure in advance that you have the documents in digital form, preferably as a PDF, before you start your application. The following documents are required for your application:

Mandatory for both Scholarship Programs:

Letter of motivation (max. 2 DIN A4-pages); in case of continued support: additional details on how the scholarship has influenced your university/personal development
Enrolment certificate for the summer term 2023 and the winter term 2023/24 (to be submitted immediately and without request)
Current Transcript of Records (downloaded at the day of the application; in contrast to previous application periods it is not possible to submit updated transcripts later on)
Curriculum Vitae
Higher education entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, HZB; in Germany usually the Abitur certificate or similar)

Mandatory for the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium

Indication of the commitments at the university in a suitable form (e.g. separately in the curriculum vitae or separately in the letter of motivation)
Appropraiate evidence for the indicated commitment

Mandatory for foreign students

Copy of passport (for students from non-EU countries); copy of identity card (for students from EU countries)

Optional

Copy of the university degree certificate (if applicable)
Passport photo/application photo
Copies of internship certificates
Copies of work references
Credentials for special awards/prizes/commitments/other

The Application Process in Detail

Requirements

The main requirement is the enrolment in one of the study programs offered at the University of Hildesheim within the standard duration of study, or the acceptance in one of it. Since the Corona pandemic, the individual period of study is considered a serious reason for extending the maximum funding period.

Letter of motivation

One letter of motivation is sufficient, even when applying for two scholarship programs at the same time. The cover letter shows your personal interest in the scholarship program and refers to your special skills that make you eligible for a scholarship.
Avoid generic phrases and anything that could refer to a "cookie-cutter" standard letter.

Classic structure:

Reason for writing, reference to the scholarship being applied for.
Current situation, focal points
Why should you receive a scholarship: Your academic achievements, volunteer work, family situation, skills, experience
Motivation: your contribution to the program
Thanks and salutation
Date and signature

Please do not repeat the stations from your CV in your letter of motivation. Rather, pursue a targeted argumentation of benefits. Why are you the best possible candidate for a scholarship?

Enrollment Certificate

With the application for a scholarship, both the enrollment certificate from the current semester (the semester of the application) and the following semester (from the begin of the funding period) must be submitted. The enrollment certificate for the first semester of funding must be submitted without request as soon as it is available. The same applies to the certificate for the second semester of the funding period. For reasons of data protection, the Scholarship Office does not have access to documents from the Enrollment Office, which is why we require the certificates from you directly.

If you are not yet enrolled at the time of application (due to a pending Master's application or because you are only entering your first semester), please indicate this in the application and submit your enrollment certificate immediately and without request as soon as it is available to you.

Transcript of Records

You can download a personal Transcript of Records via the LSF. This shows the achievements to date, on the basis of which the average grade is usually calculated automatically. This grade, as well as credit points achieved, is one of the award criteria for all scholarships. The transcript does not have to be signed by the examination office.

In contrast to previous years, it is no longer possible to submit transcripts in the application period 2023/24. The transcript should be downloaded on the day of application.

Curriculum Vitae

In your curriculum vitae, mention only those stations that seem relevant to your scholarship application and try to keep it brief. A separate description of your volunteer/university commitments can be particularly useful for your scholarship application.

Higher Education Entrance Qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung/HZB)

For your application, you must submit a copy of your university entrance qualification. In Germany, this is usually the Abitur certificate, but any document that gives you access to a university is accepted. The copy does not have to be certified, a simple copy is sufficient.

Short reports/letters of recommendation from lecturers

In the updated statutes, applied from the 2023/24 funding period onwards, the requirement to submit a short report issued by a lecturer in addition to the application has been removed.
However, it is of course still possible to have "short reports" or letters of recommendation issued by lecturers, that inlcude a statement about the eligibility of the applicant.

Short reports or letters of recommendation do not have to be submitted with the application, but must be sent separately by the issuing lecturer, if possible as a PDF and per e-mail to stipendien[at]uni-hildesheim.de.

Certificates and references from internships and work experiences

You can underline the information that you consider particularly relevant for a successful application with supporting documents. Copies of certificates regarding your education in particular should be enclosed. However, it is not obligatory to provide evidence for every single piece of information. We recommend that you provide copies of certificates or similar evidence of the most recent and relevant information.

Voluntary/university commitment should (when applying for a Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium: must) always be suitably documented.

Deadlines and Completeness

Your documents must be electronically recieved in full and on time by 30.06.2023 at 24:00. After this time, the application portal will be closed. Incomplete applications will not be considered in the interest of all applicants.

Here you will find answers to questions that we have been asked several times in the run-up to the application period. We will expand this section during the application period as more questions arise.

A scholarship provides financial support during the education. In contrast to i.e. a student loan, the money does not have to be paid back after the period in which the student was eligible for funding. Funding can be granted according to very different criteria, i.e. (university/school) achievements, voluntary work, university involvement or social aspects. How much money is granted depends on the scholarship.

The University of Hildesheim currently awards the following scholarships:

Deutschlandstipendium (300€/month; for the highest achieving students).
Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium (200€/month (as of 2023/24); rewards students that are particularly involved in university activities).

Further information regarding the respective scholarships can be found by clicking on the tap "Scholarship Programs".

Most importantly, the basic requirement for applying for a scholarship at the University of Hildesheim is the enrolment in one of the study programs offered at the University of Hildesheim.
(Future) students who wish to apply for their first semester must submit their admission letter for the respective study program with their application. An application for the first (Bachelor) semester is only possible for the Deutschlandstipendium. Applicants who would like to apply for the Lore-Auerbach-Stipendium must have studied at least one semester at the University of Hildesheim beforehand.

Furthermore, all of the awarded scholarships have individual further requirements and credentials that have to be fulfilled or submitted with the application. Further information in this regard can be found in the description of the respective scholarships.

The University of Hildesheim does not award any scholarships related to a specific study program. Therefore, everybody enrolled or admitted at the University of Hildesheim is theoretically eligible for a scholarship. However, the offered scholarships differ in terms of the amount of money that is granted, as well as their focus and the resulting additional requirements and documents that have to be fulfilled and submitted.
The decision which scholarship to apply for is therefore a highly individual one. The provided information about the respective scholarship on this website, as well as the associated statutes and guidelines, should assist in this decision.

The simple answer is yes.
If you have any doubts whether you are eligible for a scholarship we want to encourage you to apply anyway. You may be lucky, or you may not even be as ineligible as you think you are. As long as your application is received on time and formally correct you fulfil the requirement(s) for the particular scholarship your application will be considered.

Applications are submitted electronically via an application form on this website. Information that an application period is starting is communicated to all students both on the website and through the PWA via email.
Ths years' application period is expected to take place in June 2023.

It is possible to apply for both scholarships at the same time. However, the grant will always be awarded for one of the scholarships at most. It is not possible to receive funds through more than one scholarship offered at the University of Hildesheim and coordinated by the Scholarship Office. If you already receive a scholarship from another institution, the decision whether this double funding is in accordance with the statutes or guidelines has to be made on a case-by-case basis.

A current overview which scholarships can (or cannot) be awarded at the same time as the Deutschlandstipendium can be found here [German].

The decision who will receive a scholarship is usually made before the start of the winter semester. You will receive the official letter of acceptance or rejection via postal mail. Payment is expected to begin in October of the respective funding period.

If you have a question that you have not found an answer to throughout this website and this FAQ, please feel free to contact the Scholarship Office.

Contact:

E-mail: stipendien[at]uni-hildesheim.de
Contact person: Julia Labs
Phone: 05121 - 883 90132

Application Period for 2023/24

Note