Photo: Jan-Eric Euler / DSW
A Hand with money.

Grant for the successful graduation of study

Funds will be available again in the summer semester 2025. A total of 50 grants of 1,000 euros each will be available.

The grant for successful graduation is aimed at students in financial and social need and also takes into account the special burdens of international students. It is intended to provide support in the final phase of studies - for example to cover living expenses, to finance additional expenses for final theses or to purchase necessary work equipment such as a laptop.

Applications can only be submitted online via the barrier-free application portal from 05.05.2025 / 10 a.m. - as long as funds are available.

It is now possible to register in the online application portal. This allows you to familiarize yourself with the portal at your leisure. In the FAQ you will find all the important information and a list of the documents you need to complete the application. This will help you prepare for your application.

FAQ

You can apply at the end of your studies (within the last 12 months of your studies). Funding is available on a one-time basis.

The grant is in the amount of 1000 euros.
It therefore does not have to be repaid.

Funding is limited to 50 grants. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. Once the funds are exhausted, the remaining applications will no longer be considered and the application portal will be closed.

There is no legal entitlement.

Applications are submitted exclusively via the online application portal.

Applications are processed in the order in which they are received.
The duration of the processing is therefore based on the volume of applications.
If this is very high (as was the case in past rounds), it unfortunately takes longer.
Once the fund is exhausted, the remaining applications are no longer considered and the application portal is closed.

You are eligible for funding if, at the time of application:

  • you are enrolled at a cooperation university,
  • are registered in Germany, and
  • can complete your degree within the next 12 months and still have open coursework (e.g. practical semester, modules or thesis).

Guest students and students on leave of absence are not eligible for funding.

 

The application is submitted exclusively online via the barrier-free online application portal provided for this purpose.
All documents and declarations are requested when submitting the application via the application portal. You can prepare these so that you can upload them more quickly when you start your application.
The application process can be paused in between. So you can interrupt the application process and continue it at a later time as long as the portal has not been closed yet. If you do not complete your application in the same month in which you started it, please pay attention to the required period for the account statements (see below).

Identity, eligibility to apply and personal eligibility will be verified on the basis of the following documents:

  • Information on the progress of your studies: Only this form is accepted, which needs to be certified by your university. The signature of the university must not be older than from 01.10.2024. Certificates signed electronically are only valid with a time stamp of the person signing.
  • Identity card or passport in connection with the registration confirmation, and residence permit (visa), if applicable
    • For international students: If the residence permit has expired at the time of application, the confirmation of receipt of the application for extension at the LEA can also be uploaded.
  • Current matriculation certificate of enrolment or study valid at the time of application. This must show the university and subject semesters as well as the student status (full-time studies, part-time studies, etc.).
  • Motivation letter with description of personal situation and reasons for the application, description of motivation for studying/the field of study and how the study programme is planned (e.g. duration of studies, date of graduation, planned internships, semesters abroad)
  • Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae since leaving school (including periods of unemployment or similar)
  • Information on the intended use, i.e. what you would like to buy or finance with the grant
  • If applicable, proof of disability
  • Complete account statements with the name of the account holder and the bookings/account transactions of the previous month. For example, if you submit your application in May, you will need the bookings/account transactions from April. 

Important: The application portal only accepts three file formats: jpg/jpeg, png and pdf.

Only applications received in full will be processed. Please check your application for completeness before submitting it. Missing documents cannot be submitted later and will not be requested!

Further information on what you need to consider before sending the application can be found further down on this page.

Exclusion criteria for funding are i.e.:

  • Incomplete documents (see above the list of required documents as well as required information in the application portal, e.g. name on bank statements, etc.)
  • Formal requirements not fulfilled (see above for a list of formal requirements) 
  • Comparatively lower financial and/or social need 
  • Comparatively high assets
  • Payment of the grant by studierendenWERK BERLIN already received in the current study programme
  • Visa/ID document has expired at the time of application

Yes, a residence in Germany is required. Only the official registration certificate serves as proof.
A tenancy agreement or a housing provider certificate is not sufficient.
Registration certificates must be applied for at the Residents' Registration Office if not available.

The grant application portal only accepts three file formats: jpg/jpeg, png and pdf.

If your files are in a different format, convert them to the accepted formats using the appropriate software.

Note: Do not manually change the file formats by adapting the file extensions by renaming the file format, e.g. by renaming a document with the name ‘Ausweisdokument.gif’ to ‘Ausweisdokument.png’.
This usually results in the document becoming unreadable.

Entries that show and explain your overall financial situation (e.g. regular income and expenses mentioned in the application) should be visible for an audit.

Details in your account statements may be made unrecognisable as follows:

a) For bookings under 50 euros: The texts can be made unrecognisable, but not the amounts.

or

b) For bookings over 50 euros: Details of specially protected data within the meaning of Article 9 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) may be made unrecognisable. 

This includes information on ‘racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or trade union membership’.

For example, when transferring membership fees to a political party or trade union or when making payments to a religious community, the name of the organisation can be made unrecognisable.

Please contact us by e-mail at zuschuss(at)stw.berlin

Your Questions

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Telephone consultation hour

For tips and questions on how to complete your application for the grant for successful graduation, the social counselling service also offers telephone consultation.

Phone: +49 (0)30 93939 - 8423

Appointments:

Tuesday, 22.04. / 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Wednesday, 30.04. / 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

You can check the processing status of your application (WiSe 2024/25) using your personal login details in the online application portal.