The application for an Elektro-Start Deutschlandstipendium is exclusively online. The online application is submitted via the online application portal provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The portal will only be open for applications for the period from July 16 to September 15 of the respective year.

As long as the application portal is open, you can save your application and add attachments to it. For the application to be valid, however, you must send it within the deadline.

All documents must be uploaded online as a PDF and attached to the application. The files must be easy to read - please refrain from photographing documents with your cell phone or other devices.

Please note: After the deadline, the application portal will be closed and no more applications can be sent or edited. Incomplete application documents will not be processed and are excluded from the selection process. Written applications are not admitted to the application process and will not be processed accordingly.

Half of the Elektro-Start Deutschlandstipendium is financed by the BMBF [Federal Ministry of Education and Research] and the other half is funded by donations from sponsoring companies, foundations, associations and private individuals (sponsors).

The BMBF informs students and potential sponsors about the Deutschlandstipendium at http://www.deutschlandstipendium.de/.

The following sponsors support the Elektro-Start Deutschlandstipendium: Racyics GmbH + PLS GmbH + Infineon Dresden + Siliconally GmbH + SpiNNCloud System GmbH + Dr.-Stefan-Weiße-Stiftung

University entrance qualifications (e.g. high school diploma) and certificates of degrees (vocational training, bachelor's certificate, diploma of first degree, etc.) can be submitted as copies. Other proofs of qualification such as references, internship certificates, honorary certificates are not subject to certification.

In the case of foreign certificates, please submit a copy of the officially certified translation in German or English or a transcript of records stating the school's grading system.

The Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium ends at the end of the month in which the scholarship holder has discontinued his/her studies, changed departments or is exmatriculated.

The Deutschlandstipendium does not have any impact on the contributions paid to the legal health insurance as long as the recipient is on a compulsory health insurance (as a rule until the completion of the 14^th regular degree semester or until the age of 30). This is not the case if the recipient subsequently opts for voluntary health insurance. The law requires voluntary members to pay minimum contributions that are calculated on an assessment basis. The currently valid assessment basis has to be checked for each year. If the insured person’s income exceeds this value (scholarships included), the income is liable to contributions.

The Stipendienprogramm-Gesetz (StipG – Law on scholarship programmes) stipulates that Deutschlandstipendiums are regarded as income that is neither taxable nor subject to social security tax.

We are looking for young talents and personalities of all nationalities who are interested in studying electrical engineering (diploma) at TU Dresden. Previous academic success is a decisive factor in the selection process. In addition to good school grades, social commitment and special personal challenges - such as studying far away from home or successfully overcoming obstacles in their own educational biography - are also taken into account in the selection process.

In addition to a first degree course, a second degree course is also eligible for funding.

First-year students who will be entering the first semester of their electrical engineering degree (Diplom) at the start of the funding period are invited to apply. Even if you are still in the process of applying for a place to study electrical engineering (Diplom) at TU Dresden, you can still apply for a scholarship. You only need to make sure to be enrolled as a student for the coming winter semester.

You can apply for further funding via the Deutschlandstipendium after a funding year in the Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium. Whether you receive further funding depends on the quality of your reapplication and your performance during the approval period. For the references and grades, please submit only the current and last academic year. You can find information on the renewal application on our website .

The scholarship will not be credited against the BAföG or the Bildungskredit (education credit) of the KfW-Bankengruppe.

From 1^st January 2012 no type of income, including the Deutschlandstipendium, will have any effect on the payment of child benefits. According to the Tax Simplification Law (Steuervereinfachungsgesetz) 2011, the assessment of means is not conducted for children of age until the completion of a first vocational training or a first degree course. Please find more detailed information on this topic in the BMF Information Letter on § 32 (4) German Income Tax Act (EStG) of 7^th December 2011. Before 1^st January 2012, the Deutschlandstipendium was taken into account for the payment of child benefits; however, it was less than the allowance of 8,004 EUR - without other income taken into account.

The Deutschlandstipendium is taken into account for child maintenance claims thus reducing the volume of funds needed. It is expected that students over 18 maintain themselves on their own incomes first, before they turn to their parents for financial support. The Deutschlandstipendium is regarded as part of the recipient’s own income.

The Deutschlandstipendium is principally not credited against other social benefits, like for example, Unemployment Benefit II (ALG II). The receipt of a housing benefit is an exception to this rule.

You can receive housing benefit parallel to the Deutschlandstipendium. However, recipients of the housing benefit must be aware that half of the Deutschlandstipendium and also other scholarships are incorporated in the calculation of the annual income. For further questions about scholarship and housing benefit, please inquire at your local housing benefit office.

International students can apply as long as they are enrolled at TU Dresden during the funding period or have applied to study electrical engineering at TU Dresden. In the case of foreign certificates, please submit a copy of an officially certified translation in German or English and, if applicable, a transcript of records indicating the university's grading system.

In principle, there is an obligation for the written notification of leave of absence taken during the period of grant by Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium. You need to indicate the duration of and the reasons for the leave of absence and produce a proof (internship contract, etc.). Depending on the reason for the request of leave of absence, further funding may either be granted by Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium or must be terminated (see "Leave", "Internship" and "Periods abroad"). The following basic rules apply:

If there apply other reasons for the leave of abscence the university will decide on a by-case basis on the funding. In case a leave of abscence is not reported in time the university may reclaim the already paid grant.

The Elektro-Start Deutschlandstipendium is initially intended for a funding period of one year or two semesters (1st and 2nd semester) at the beginning of the electrical engineering diploma course. After one year, it is possible to apply for an extension and continue funding via the Deutschlandstipendium until the end of the standard period of study. The maximum funding period is based on the standard period of study for the electrical engineering degree program (diploma) and is 10 semesters.

If a parallel funding is possible, depends on the amount paid and the scholarship scheme. Students, who already receive funding on the basis of achievement exceeding the monthly limit of 30 Euro, are not eligible for the Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium. Recipients sponsored by the Begabtenförderungswerke (organisations for the promotion of young talents) have to waive the financial support if they wish to be eligible for a Elektro-Strat-Deutschlandstipendium. We have compiled an overview of the current funding schemes that are compatible with the Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium. Scholarships that are compatible with the Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium and those which are not, are listed here: Overview of parallel scholarships.

Students who have been awarded a full DAAD scholarship cannot simultaneously hold a Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium since both scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and potential. However, if you receive a partial DAAD scholarship (e.g., Erasmus), this does not exclude you from the Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium.

If you stay abroad through the ERASMUS programme, the payment of the Elektro-Start-Deutschlandstipendium continues even if you receive a mobility grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) at the same time.

Decisions on eligibility are made by the selection board of the department of Electrical Engineering and the rectorial board. Interested private sponsors participate in the selection procedure in an advisory capacity. Recipients are selected on the basis of their academic and also special personal achievements.

The principles for the selection criteria and also the application and selection procedures are governed by the  Regulations for the Enforcement of the Scholarship Act (Verordnung zur Durchführung des Stipendiengesetzes).

Regulation for the awarding of scholarships is determined by the regulation rules.

The payment of the scholarship continues if you stay abroad to study in your subject area, provided that you go abroad during the funding period. This applies regardless of a possible leave of absence at the university awarded by the scholarship. If you stay abroad through the ERASMUS programme, the payment of the Deutschlandstipendium continues even if you receive a mobility grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in the same time period.