StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The University of Potsdam, minutes from Berlin, awards its University Scholarship as part of the national Deutschlandstipendium programme launched by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The idea is simple: private sponsors — foundations, companies and individuals — put up half of each €300 monthly award, and the federal government matches it, so talented students get recognised and supported without a separate bureaucracy for every donor.
Selection is broader than grades alone. Alongside school or university performance, Potsdam weighs motivation, financial need, special achievements and awards, internships and voluntary service, and personal or social circumstances that shaped your educational path. That breadth is why international students, first-generation students and students with interrupted study histories can all be competitive here.
Eligibility
- Be a student of the University of Potsdam who has not exceeded the standard period of study (exceptions for serious reasons: impairment, pregnancy, childcare, or a subject-related stay abroad).
- Or be an applicant about to begin studies at Potsdam who can provide the necessary admission documents (first-year applicants may submit their enrolment certificate afterwards, within the university’s deadline).
- Show excellent performance in school or during your studies, plus motivation for the programme.
- International applicants: have your academic average converted into the German grading system (for example through uni-assist) and document your voluntary/social engagement.
- Open to all nationalities and to bachelor’s and master’s students across faculties.
Benefits
- €300 per month, half federal funds and half private sponsorship.
- Funding for the scholarship period set in the call (one academic year in the 2026/27 round).
- Contact with your sponsor — donors are matched to scholars, and you may indicate donor preferences in the application form.
- Invitations to university scholarship events, including the onboarding event and scholarship celebration.
Documents to prepare
- The completed online application form on the University Scholarship portal.
- Proof of enrolment or admission at the University of Potsdam.
- Academic records (transcripts / grade overview), converted to the German system where you studied abroad.
- Evidence of voluntary or social engagement — bundle several certificates into a single PDF per upload field, titled “Surname_firstname_engagement”.
- An essay as a PDF if you are applying to a Denkwerkstatt (think tank) place.
- No letter of recommendation is required for the general university scholarship.
How to apply
- Apply for admission to a Potsdam bachelor’s or master’s programme if you are not yet enrolled — applicants about to begin studies can apply for the scholarship with their admission documents.
- Prepare your documents as PDFs with the university’s naming pattern (“Surname_firstname_…” for each file).
- Submit one application only in the online portal during the July window — a think-tank application automatically counts as a general scholarship application too.
- Watch for the 1 July 2027 opening of the 2027/28 window and confirm the closing date in the new call — do not assume the 2026/27 dates (1–22 July) repeat exactly.
- Expect selection over July–September, with award notifications from mid-October in the 2026/27 pattern.
FAQs
No — it is partial support. Potsdam charges no tuition, but rent near Berlin, food, health insurance and the semester contribution still need separate funding. Treat the scholarship as a top-up and a mark of recognition, not a full living budget.
Yes. Applicants about to begin their studies at Potsdam who can provide the necessary admission documents are eligible, and first-year applicants may submit their enrolment certificate afterwards within the university’s deadline.
No. The official application page states a letter of recommendation is not required for the University Scholarship.
Apply for the think-tank place and you automatically also apply for a general university scholarship — submit only one application, and upload the required essay as a PDF.
Yes. The degree-completion grant (Studienabschlussbeihilfe) pays €700 a month for up to 5 months to non-German students in the final phase of a bachelor’s or master’s who can finish within a year and show financial need. The DAAD PROMOS scheme funds short stays abroad (internships, thesis research); its next published deadline is 15 November 2026 for stays beginning January–April 2027.
Verified 24 Oct 2026: uni-potsdam.de official University Scholarship application page — July 1–22, 2026 online application period, selection July–September, notifications from mid-October, onboarding 6 November 2026, no recommendation letter required, think-tank auto-application rule, one-application rule, PDF naming pattern; uni-potsdam.de 2026/27 call for applications PDF — €300/month, half federal and half private sponsors, eligibility including about-to-begin applicants, standard-period rule and exceptions, motivation/need/achievement/engagement criteria; medjouel.com/jobs/university-of-potsdam-scholarships-2026-27-funding-opportunities-for-international-students-in-germany/ — next application phase starts 1 July 2027 for the 2027/28 winter semester, uni-assist grade conversion for international applicants; uni-potsdam.de degree-completion grant page — €700/month up to 5 months, final-phase non-German students; uni-potsdam.de PROMOS page — next deadline 15 November 2026 for stays beginning January–April 2027. Closing date for the 2027/28 window not yet published.
