APPLY!

• you are or will be enrolled at the University of Cologne as a Bachelor's or Master's student or are aiming for the state examination.
• you have performed very well at school and/or university.
• you have achieved particular success (e.g. in subject-specific competitions or in sports).
• you are involved in voluntary or honorary work for others.
• you have personal or family circumstances (e.g. migration background, family background, illness, caring for your own children or relatives in need of care) that should be taken into account when considering your overall performance and potential.

• you are or will be enrolled as a Bachelor's or Master's student at the University of Cologne or are aiming for the state examination.
• you can prove that you are in need of financial support (according to the definition of income in § 21 BAföG).
• you are performing (very) well at school and/or university.
• you have personal or family circumstances (e.g. migration background, family background, illness, care of your own children or relatives in need of care) that must be taken into account in the overall assessment of your performance and potential.
• you are involved in voluntary or honorary work for others.
• you have achieved particular success (e.g. in professional competitions or in sports).

• you are enrolled at the University of Cologne as a Bachelor student up to the 3rd semester or are studying for the state examination.
• You were mentored during your school years as part of the NRW Talentccouting Program.
• You are a first-time graduate (first generation to study in Germany).
• you can prove that you are in need of financial support (according to the income definition of § 21 BAföG; BAföG entitlement, citizen's allowance or housing benefit in the family, child supplement).
• you face individual burdens (e.g. own history of flight or migration, own household, illnesses, own children, no possibility to pursue a part-time job).
• you are heavily involved in the family and take on tasks (e.g. looking after/caring for siblings, parents or relatives, translating and assisting at public offices, contributing to the family income or working in the family business).

• you are or will be enrolled at the University of Cologne as a Bachelor's or Master's student or are aiming for the state examination.
• you can provide evidence of a disability within the meaning of Section 2 (1) SGB IX or a chronic illness that significantly impairs your studies (e.g. physical disability, sensory impairment, speech impairment).
• you have performed very well at school and/or university.
• you have achieved particular success (e.g. in subject-specific competitions or in sports).
• you are involved in voluntary or honorary work for others.
• you have personal or family circumstances (e.g. migration background, family background) that should be taken into account when considering your overall performance and potential.

Applications for funding from the winter semester 2025/26 are possible from August 3 to 28, 2026. Your application can only take part in the selection process if it has been received in full by the application deadline and contains all the required documents. Please note that your application must be submitted within the application deadline even if you have not yet been admitted/enrolled at that time. In these special cases, you can submit your certificate of enrollment at a later date.

We receive around 1,000 applications every year. The number of scholarship places available depends on the amount of funding we receive from private donors, companies, foundations and associations. For your orientation: In the last procedure, 232 Germany Scholarships, 16 Social Scholarships, 2 “Talentscouting meets Social Scholarships” and 10 Inclusion Scholarships were awarded.

Applications for all scholarships are submitted online via the University of Cologne's application portal. You can apply for all types of scholarships at the same time. The application portal will be activated in time for the application phase.

Please note that the application portal for the Deutschlandstipendium is new! You must therefore register first, even if you are applying again.

You apply actively for a scholarship. Before you apply, please take a careful look at our FAQ and the guidelines for the scholarship programs.Only then you should go to the application portal.

Please note that only applications that are submitted on time with all required documents will be admitted to the selection procedure. Therefore, please check the completeness of your application. Please also keep in mind that the uploaded file is limited to max. 20 MB. Make sure from the outset that you create pdf files with low memory requirements. In a second step, merge several pdf files into one file in the correct order.

For all types of scholarships:

• CV in tabular form (max. 2 pages)
• Cover/motivation letter (max. 1–2 pages in A4 format)
• Qualification for admission to higher education
• for students from the beginning of the 3rd semester: current transcript of records from previous studies
• in the case of Master’s applications: Bachelor’s certificate and credited overall grade
• in case of foreign Bachelor certificates: VPD from Uni-assist
• Training certificate or proof of professional experience, if applicable
• for first-year students: letter of admission or certificate of enrolment, if available
• BAföG notice(s), if applicable
• other documents supporting the information under the social criteria field (e.g. honorary post etc.)

Only for the Sozialstipendium:

• proof of social need – if possible – by other official certificates
• on a separate extra sheet, detailed list of all available monthly financial resources from parents, other relatives, BAföG, scholarships, rent subsidies, subsistence allowances, child benefits etc.
• details of parents’ occupation and income
• copies of statement of earnings or income tax assessment

Only for the Inklusionstipendium

• evidence of disability or chronic illness (medical or official medical reports and official documents; in particular, a pass for disabled persons or an assessment notice on the degree of disability, if available, must be submitted).

A Central Awards Committee, composed of representatives from all faculties and other groups represented at the university, is responsible for selecting the scholarship recipients. Following the Rectorate's decision, the selected scholarship recipients will receive an approval notification via email. If you are not selected for a scholarship, you will receive a rejection notification via email.

Put yourself in the position of the awarding committee: You have limited time for many applications. Therefore, you should ask yourself the following questions when writing:

• What do I have over other applicants?
• Why is it worth supporting me?
• Why am I a particularly good fit for the funding program?

The letter of motivation should be no longer than one to two pages – keep it short and concise, and structure it clearly and logically. Mention everything that speaks for you, makes you unique, and makes your resume compelling.

Motivation for Studying

• What motivates me to study?
• Why am I particularly suited to it; what do I like about it?
• What are my academic goals?
• What are my career goals after graduation?

Motivation for the Scholarship

• Why am I applying for a Germany, Social, and/or Inclusion Scholarship? Please do not cite only the financial support as your motivation!
• How will the scholarship help me achieve my professional and personal goals?
• Voluntary, voluntary, or family involvement alongside my studies or at university
• Have I received any prizes or awards during my school years or studies?
• What has my career path been like so far?

Facts

• Studies: Program, semester, and planned graduation date (if applicable)
• Professional experience (if applicable): Skilled profession, degree, work as [...]
• Special professional knowledge and skills; Language skills
• Honors, awards, and distinctions received (if applicable)
• Special burdens (personal or family)
• Personal or family circumstances (e.g., migration background, family origin, illness, caring for your own children or dependent relatives) that should be considered when considering your overall performance and potential

Formal information

• Sender's address and address of the University of Cologne
• Place and date
• Subject line without the full word "Subject"
• Salutation: Dear Sir or Madam