Organizations for the Promotion of Gifted Students

As Germany’s newest scholarship foundation, the Avicenna-Studienwerk supports high-achieving and socially engaged Muslim undergraduate and graduate students in all fields of study through its scholarships.

The Cusanuswerk provides young people with spaces where faith, scholarship and responsibility come together. What began as a very small group of scholarship holders has grown into a vibrant Catholic community, where around 2,400 scholarship holders are now supported both intellectually and financially as they pursue their vocational training, undergraduate studies and doctoral research (as of 2026).

TheErnst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk awards scholarships to exceptionally gifted and dedicated Jewish undergraduate and graduate students, as well as doctoral candidates with a focus on Judaism. In addition to financial support, the Foundation places particular emphasis on providing intellectual support.

The Evangelische Studienwerk is the scholarship organization of the Protestant churches in Germany. It currently supports nearly 1,500 undergraduate students and approximately 300 doctoral candidates across all disciplines at universities and universities of applied sciences. In the fall of 2024, as part of a pilot project, the organization also began providing support to individuals in vocational training.

The SPD-affiliated Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V. is rooted in the tradition of social democracy and has close ties to the labor movement. As a political foundation, their work is oriented toward the fundamental values of Social Democracy:freedom, justice, and solidarity, and is also committed to the preservation of peace.

The foundation’s work focuses on promoting a vibrant and diverse democracy in which the participation of all people is taken for granted. Furthermore, the foundation is committed to a socially just economy that is oriented toward the common good, protects natural resources, and shapes the digital transformation in a way that benefits as many people as possible.

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, which is affiliated with the FDP, supports enthusiastic, curious, and open-minded individuals. They provide support to individuals during their vocational training, undergraduate studies, and doctoral research.

The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) Scholarship Foundation supports scholarship recipients in various educational pathways: they are pursuing undergraduate or doctoral degrees at universities and universities of applied sciences, earning their high school diploma (including advanced placement) through adult education, or completing vocational training. Recipients are characterized by above-average academic performance as well as a strong commitment to trade unions, social policy, and social issues.

The Heinrich Böll Stiftung is a progressive political foundation that offers equal opportunities and equitable access to education, they support graduate students and PhD students from DAC countries who intend to pursue a Master's degree or PhD in Germany.

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. (KAS), which is affiliated with the CDU, is a political foundation active throughout Germany and abroad. As part of its work, the foundation provides scholarships to exceptionally talented and dedicated young people. The goal of this support is to enable them to take on leadership roles and become active citizens in politics, business, academia, the media, culture, and society.

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation is one of the leading organizations promoting political education in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is one of the largest political education institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany, and part of the broader international democratic socialist movement.

The Klaus Murmann Student Aid Foundation of theStiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw) is one of 13 student aid foundations supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space. Funding is available to high-achieving, dedicated undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their field of study or the type of institution they attend.

The Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes e.V. is the oldest and largest organization for the promotion of gifted students in the Federal Republic of Germany. Scholarship recipients are typically nominated by teachers at schools or universities. However, students may also apply on their own initiative.