Scholarships and funding opportunities
There are various ways to finance a stay abroad. There are also some funding programs for international students at HRW. You can find more information on the following pages.
Erasmus+ is the EU programme for the promotion of education, training, youth and sport in Europe. In various programme lines, it promotes stays abroad for young people within Europe and beyond.
Study semesters at European partner universities
At the HRW, all agreements with the European partner universities (including the Turkish universities) were concluded in accordance with the Erasmus+ standards. The application documents, selection and funding criteria comply with the EU requirements for the Erasmus+ programme. Students who have successfully applied for a semester at a European partner university therefore automatically receive financial support from the Erasmus+ programme.
Internships within Europe
With a minimum duration of 2 months, internships are also eligible for funding through the Erasmus+ programme. Students who have independently found an internship in an EU country (as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Turkey and North Macedonia) can apply to the International Office for Erasmus funding. The application deadline is two months before the start of the internship or departure.
Funding
The amount of funding depends on the host country.
In order to strengthen social inclusion and environmental awareness, the Erasmus+ programme provides additional funding in the form of ‘top ups’ for students with fewer opportunities. A top-up of €150 per month is also paid for internships. The top ups for students with fewer opportunities cannot be combined with each other.
Further information on funding rates, application documents and requirements can be found on the HRW Portal.
As part of the Programme to Increase the Mobility of Students at German Universities (PROMOS), the HRW International Office awards scholarships for semesters abroad. The PROMOS programme is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Who is funded:
- Regularly enrolled students at the HRW
(i.e. students enrolled in a regular degree programme at the HRW who are enrolled with the aim of completing their degree here). - High-achieving students with special motivation for the planned stay abroad.
What is funded:
- Study or practical semester abroad outside Europe.
- Study semesters at European universities, but not at the HRW's European partner universities
(These are funded via the Erasmus+ programme). - The study visit or internship must be directly related to the degree programme at the HRW.
- Funding is not available for language courses, excursions or tuition fees at foreign universities.
Scope of funding:
- Travel allowance (partial mobility grant)
- Monthly partial scholarship for the stay in the host country
- The amount depends on the host country (see table)
- Due to limited funding, the maximum funding period is 4 months for study semesters and voluntary internships, 5 months for compulsory internships
Selection criteria:
- Average grade and course of study (50%)
- Motivation (presentation of the relevance of the semester abroad for the degree programme, academic success and intended career path) (40%)
- Language skills in the host country or the language of study or work at the host university or company (10%)
The DAAD is the world's largest funding organisation for international exchange in higher education. Students and academics can apply directly to the DAAD for scholarships in various funding programmes.
The HRW awards various scholarships for students with a refugee background with funding from the state of NRW.
In order to support international students at the HRW in the final phase of their studies, the HRW regularly awards graduation scholarships with funds from the Federal Foreign Office.
As part of the DAAD STIBET I programme, the International Office has been awarding a scholarship for international students with special social challenges during their studies (e.g. special care situation for children, relatives in need of care, disability/chronic illness, refugee background) since winter semester 24/25.
BAföG is a social benefit provided by the Federal Republic of Germany to financially support the education of German students whose income is below a certain limit. Whether international students are eligible depends on their residence status. The application must be submitted to the respective Studierendenwerk.
International BAföG can be applied for to finance stays abroad during your studies.
We have summarised the financing options for you in a document that is updated regularly. This is available in German and English.
Interested HRW students can find further information in the HRW Portal.