Studienstiftung

Studienstiftung

German Academic Scholarship Foundation, Headquarters, Bonn
Scholarship foundation overview
Formed1925 (1925)
JurisdictionGermany
HeadquartersBonn
Annual budget€103 million
Scholarship foundation executives
Websitestudienstiftung.de

The German Academic Scholarship Foundation (German: Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, or Studienstiftung for short) is Germany's largest[1][2] and most prestigious scholarship foundation.[3] According to its statutes, it supports "the university education of young people who, on account of their exceptional academic or artistic talents and their personalities, can be expected to make an outstanding contribution to society as a whole".[4] The Studienstiftung is non-political, non-denominational and ideologically independent. Its headquarters are located in Bonn; it also has an office in Berlin. The current president is University of Bonn director Michael Hoch [de], and its patron (Schirmherr [de]) is the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.[5]

The Studienstiftung, like 12 other scholarship foundations (Begabtenförderungswerk [de]), is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research,[6] with funds from the federal government, the German federal states and local authorities, numerous foundations and businesses as well as numerous private donors.[7] In 2015, the Studienstiftung's budget was over €103 million. Between 1925 and 2015, it has supported over 65,000 students and doctoral candidates; as of 2015, it had over 60,000 alumni worldwide.[8]

German Academic Scholarship Foundation, branch office, Berlin

The selection process is extremely rigorous and only those students who show outstanding academic and personal promise are chosen. The Studienstiftung awards scholarships to fewer than 0.5% of German students.[9] It is often referred to as Germany's "secret elite university".[10]

  1. ^ "Begabtenförderungswerke: Die 13 Stipendiengeber im Überblick". myStipendium (in German). 12 April 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Begabtenförderungswerke". fowid.de (in German). 31 August 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Studienstiftung mit technischen Problemen". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 9 July 2021. Eine Förderung durch die Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes ist nicht nur wegen des monatlichen Förderbetrages attraktiv. Das Stipendium gilt auch als höchste Auszeichnung im Feld akademischer Begabtenförderung.
  4. ^ "Facts and figures | Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes". www.studienstiftung.de. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Schirmherr | Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes". www.studienstiftung.de. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  6. ^ BMBF-Internetredaktion. "Die Begabtenförderungswerke – BMBF". Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung – BMBF (in German). Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Jahresbericht | Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes". www.studienstiftung.de. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Daten und Fakten". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Facts and figures | Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes". www.studienstiftung.de. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  10. ^ Lehn, Das Gespräch Führte Birgitta Vom (13 April 2008). "Elite sein wird einfacher". DIE WELT. Retrieved 9 May 2021.