The International Office awards Equal Opportunity Scholarships through the DAAD’s STIBET I program, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
These scholarships support international students at RWTH who are facing particular social or personal challenges during their studies.
Table of Content
Summary
Requirements
You are eligible to apply if you meet all of the following requirements:
- You are enrolled as a degree-seeking student or doctoral candidate at RWTH (exchange and short-term students, as well as participants in German language courses, are not eligible).
- You will remain in Germany for the entire duration of the scholarship (semesters or internships abroad are excluded).
- You earned your university entrance qualification outside Germany (not at a German school in Germany or abroad).
- You do not hold German citizenship.
- Your studies or doctoral program will continue at least through December 2026.
- You are not receiving any other scholarship during the funding period.
- Your gross income from employment is below €1,248 per month.
- You face exceptional personal or social circumstances that make your studies more difficult. Examples include:
- Caring for your own children (ages 0–12) or relatives in need of care
- Living with a disability recognized under German law (degree of disability of 50 or higher) or chronic illness
- Holding refugee status or experiencing financial hardship as a result of war
- Facing difficulties returning to your home country
Application Documents
Please submit the following documents in full via the online application portal:
- Current certificate of enrollment
- Résumé (CV)
- Current transcript, including your GPA, or confirmation of supervision for doctoral candidates
- Copy of your passport and, if applicable, copy of your residence permit (front and back)
- Bank statements for all personal accounts for the past three months (joint accounts must also be included for married applicants)
- If you have additional income: copy of your employment contract and recent pay statements
- Please inform the International Office immediately if your employment status or working hours change during the scholarship period. Include documentation of any changes.
- If your gross income exceeds €556, the scholarship amount will be reduced.
- BAföG notification or rejection letter, if applicable (BAföG is Germany’s federal student aid program)
- Detailed description of the specific challenges you face in your studies
- Supporting documentation, such as:
- Children’s birth certificates
- Documentation from nursing care insurance
- Medical certificates or disability identification
- Residence permit or proof of refugee status
Application Deadline
June 1, 2026How To Apply
- Application period: October 25 - November 25, 2025
- Funding period: typically February - July 2026
Scholarships will be awarded in January 2026 by a selection committee of the International Office, based on the submitted documents and individual circumstances.
For more details, visit RWTH Aachen University Scholarship webpage
