Most scholarship programmes award the scholarships according to the following four selection criteria, which are weighted differently depending on the programme. In addition, there are also other selection criteria, such as certain biographical experiences/life situations.
This means that my chances of a successful application increase if I find a scholarship for which I fulfil as many of the selection criteria as well as possible.
1. Talent
Good grades often play a role. However, they are usually not the only decisive factor, but rather one of several criteria.
- How important are my grades?
- Are there any grade limits?
- Which grades are taken into account in the application (school grades, first university grades, etc.)?
2. Need
What are the financial requirements?
- Federal student aid (BAföG): IMPORTANT! A distinction must be made here as to whether
- you must only belong to the group of persons according to section 8 BAföG (Federal Education and Training Assistance Act) who are allowed to apply for BAföG at all OR
- whether it is a prerequisite that you are actually eligible for BAföG, i.e. that you receive/would receive payments (if you have not yet applied).
3. Social commitment
Social commitment plays a major role for most sponsors. There is often no restriction as to which area you are involved in. However, it can still be helpful to be active in an area that is relevant to the sponsor, e.g. with regard to confessions, trade unions, politics, etc.
What you often do not think of is that social commitment also includes commitment within the family, e.g. caring for relatives or supporting siblings with disabilities.
4. Personal profile
- Are there any other criteria, e.g. biographical criteria that are taken into account in an application, even if they are not a prerequisite for applying?
- Migration background
- Parents without university degree
- Orphan/half-orphan
- Chron. illness/disability
- Biographical challenges
- …
- Do my experiences, interests, values and goals correspond to the sponsor’s guiding principles?
