Elektro-Start-Deutschlandsti­pendium

Before applying for an Elektro-Start scholarship, you should find out about the application modalities for the Electrical Engineering (Diploma) degree program at TU Dresden and prepare an application for this degree program. Enrolment in this degree program at TU Dresden is a mandatory requirement for eligibility for the Elektro-Start scholarship.

How to apply to study at TU Dresden:

1. Inform yourself
Find out about the specific admission requirements for the Electrical Engineering degree program. Click here to go to the website of the Electrical Engineering (Diploma) degree program: TU Dresden Electrical Engineering degree program

2. Application deadline
The application deadline for the winter semester is 15.07.2026 for applicants from abroad and 15.09.2026 for German applicants

3. Online application
Apply online via the TU Dresden application portal. Register for an application account and complete the application form for a degree in Electrical Engineering (Diploma, admission-free) under "Current applications". Click here for the application portal: Application portal

4. Application documents
Upload all necessary documents to the TUD application portal under "Documents / Certificates / Certificates", e.g. : Abitur certificate or equivalent school-leaving certificate, proof of any previous internships, proof of any vocational training, curriculum vitae in tabular form, identity card or passport

5. Application number
Make a note of the six-digit application number from the application portal and quote it when applying for an Elektro-Strat scholarship.

The online application is submitted via the online application portal. This is only available once per academic year for a limited period of time, from July 16 (9:00 a.m) - September 15 (end of day midnight) .

Notes

• Before you start your application, you must create an account which you can use to log into the system at any time with your password.
• You can save your application temporarily and edit it later. However, for your application to be valid, you must send it within the application deadline.
• You can only upload attachments in PDF format (maximum 2 Mb).

The application documents must be uploaded in the relevant sections of the online application form. Please upload your documents in PDF format in the appropriate "Browse" field. The amount of data per upload must not exceed 2 MB. For data protection reasons, please submit your letter of motivation and CV without your address, telephone number, e-mail address, matriculation number and date of birth. You may mention your name.

You must submit the following documents digitally:

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

• Declaration of participation (please complete the web form during the application phase and upload the confirmation email as a pdf file to the appropriate place in the application portal - Link in the application portal)

• Confirmation of Enrolment or Online application to TU Dresden or confirmation of online application

• Letter of motivation (max. 1 page, with name only; instructions for writing),

• Curriculum vitae in tabular form (with name only, photo is optional but not mandatory)

• Certificates or overview of grades:

a. in the case of applicants for the first semester, the higher education/university entrance qualification.

b. for students the last highest qualification and the current grade overview with all grades (not older than May 2026).

c. in the case of foreign certificates, an officially certified translation into German or English or a uni-assist certificate and a transcript of records stating the university's grading system.

Your grade point average must be in the range of 1.0 and 2.5 on the german grading system in order to apply.

• Further references - If possible, please complete your application with written evidence (with date on it) on the following criteria:

  • Prizes and awards as well as sporting, social and societal, political, artistic and cultural and/or academic and professional engagement (not older than 2 years!).
    Each engagement must be verified by a letter of reference—the date and number of hours worked per week/month must be included and signed by the responsible supervisors. You can find an example here.

  • conditions that have adversely affected your educational biography (caring for relatives, orphan status, raising children, first-time graduate, illness, disability, migration or refugee status...).
    Each condition must be verified with a document.

  • Employment alongside studies (not older than 2 years!).
    Proof required in the form of an employment contract specifying the contract term and number of hours per week/month.

  • Professional qualifications, employment references or letters of recommendation relevant to the application.
    (Recommended format for letters of recommendation: Brief introduction of the writer and their role, reason for writing the letter, description of the applicant's activities, assessment of soft skills and working methods, emphasizing the applicant's suitability for the scholarship. The letter of recommendation should not exceed two pages.)

Please note: Information that has not been verified will not be included in the assessment. You should therefore obtain appropriate references and evidence in good time.

If you have not yet received your Abitur certificate before the application deadline, you can also apply for a Deutschlandstipendium at TU Dresden without the certificate and confirmation of the online application. Please note the following in the application form:

• Please enter '0000' in the field "Matriculation number or applicant number"
• Upload a self-written document in the field "Certificate of matriculation/online application" with details of the degree program you are applying for and the date of your expected matriculation at TU Dresden
• Instead of the Abitur certificate, you can upload a provisional grade certificate from your school or the half-year report card

Please note that you must submit the required documents (application form, Abitur certificate) as soon as possible.

If you have just applied for the upcoming winter semester at the TU Dresden, you do not have an enrolment number or a confirmation of enrolment. In this case, instead of the confirmation of enrolment, upload the acceptance letter, the online application form or the confirmation of the online application. In the declaration to participate you must enter your application number instead of the enrolment number.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to say in advance how high the chances of a Elektro-Start-scholarship are for each applicant, as the probability depends on the number of applications received from eligible candidates. In 2024, the Elektro-Start scholarship was awarded to 27 scholarship holders for the first time, in 2025 to 19 scholarship holders. However, due to the novelty of the scholarship, it can be assumed that the number of applicants will be relatively low and that applicants will therefore have a very good chance of success, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.

Further FAQs can be found here.