The Deutschlandstipendium supports talented and committed students financially that enables them to focus on their studies and their social commitment. The Deutschlandstipendium is also awarded at THWS - in summer semester 2024 for the 16th time already.
Published on 06 November 2024
The private-public Deutschlandstipendium supports talented and high-performing students. The objective: Honouring excellent performance and establishing a scholarship culture in Germany. The Deutschlandstipendium is half-financed by private funders like companies, alumni, or foundations. The other half is financed by the German federal government. Students at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) can also apply for the scholarship.
"The funded students receive a scholarship that offers financial support and with it more personal freedom to focus on their studies and their commitment outside the higher education institution", explains Achim Förster, vice president at THWS. The Deutschlandstipendium supports talented students from all nations and social backgrounds and thus promotes a diverse and committed student body.
The summer semester's scholarship round ended on 12 June 2024 with the award celebration. The new scholarship holders will receive financial support of 300 euros per month for the following two semesters. Within the past months, a selection committee had interviewed the applicants in order to find suitable candidates for the scholarships to be awarded.
The award process
To be considered as a scholarship holder, candidates must meet some selection criteria: On the one hand, they must submit proof of high academic performance. On the other hand, social commitment and personal circumstances are taken into account. "The selection process consists of two steps. In a first step, companies review the application documents and decide who will be invited to a selection interview as a second step," explains Vice President Professor Dr. Förster. Representatives of the funders, of the university management, and the faculties are involved in these interviews.
"The applicants are all highly committed, show high academic performance, and still show great social commitment," says Lena Schmitt, personnel officer at Wölfel-Gruppe. In 2024, Schmitt participated in the discussions of the selection committee for the first time. Because of the many talented applicants, the decision had not been easy. In the end, the committee’s decision was unanimous. "These interviews mostly serve to meet the student in person and learn more about their motivation, their future plans, their commitment outside of THWS," Vice President Professor Dr. Förster explains. What mattered was the combination of "academic performance, coherent plans for the future, and commitment," he adds. But students’ familial background played a role as well. Children of non-academics are given special consideration.
The Deutschlandstipendium is a win-win situation
By supporting the Deutschlandstipendium, companies benefit in various ways: Not only do they contribute significantly to promoting young talents, they also strengthen their position in the competition for the best junior employees. Lena Schmitt is certain: "The Deutschlandstipendium offers companies valuable contacts." Contacting the scholarship holders would enable the company to meet potential employees well in advance and win them over for their company.. "We directly invited our scholarship holders to a meeting so that they could learn more about us, current projects, and career chances."
Another company supporting two students in this scholarship round is Weidmüller GTI Software. "To us, the Deutschlandstipendium is on the one hand part of our social commitment in the region and on the other hand a chance to intensify the contact with THWS and students to make them aware of attractive career opportunities with us," explains Achim Schreck, founder of Weidmüller GTI Software GmbH. The company does not only offer the scholarship holders financial support. "We offer scholarship holders the chance to get to know our company and deepening their work experience through internships." Candidates from the field could also complete their final thesis or do vacation jobs in the company, Schreck continues. That way, they could deepen their applied knowledge and gain perspectives their own future.
That way, the chance for social commitment remains
The Deutschlandstipendium can thus also benefit students with their career: "Our scholarship holders could also be a good fit for our company as employees," says Schmitt of the Wölfel-Gruppe. But most importantly, students still had enough time for social commitment alongside their studies. "Studies at THWS are designed as a full-time job. In addition to lectures, students must invest a lot of time in follow-up, exam preparation, and research projects," says Antonia Tiller, currently scholarship holder. "This can be a big burden if you have to work on the side." For several years, Tiller has been active in youth work, where she organises camping trips for children and teenagers. Thanks to the Deutschlandstipendium she still has enough time to commit socially despite studying. This is one of the reasons why the Deutschlandstipendium has become an integral part of higher education support at THWS.
5 reasons why companies should support the Deutschlandstipendium:
- Access to young talents: Companies get in contact with highly qualified and committed junior staff.
- Networking: Through supporting the Deutschlandstipendium, companies can form close networks with higher education institutions. These networks can benefit recruiting and offer companies the opportunity to participate in joint research projects and share innovations.
- Supporting social equality: Supporting the scholarship promotes equal education opportunities for talented students regardless of their financial situation or their social background.
- Direct involvement and exchange: Companies can get into direct contact with the funded students and offer them internships, jobs as working students, final theses, or mentorings.
- Image cultivation and corporate social responsibility: By supporting of the scholarship, companies show their social commitment and social responsibility.
