FAU travel scholarships for stays abroad

FAU travel scholarships for stays abroad

Travel scholarships are available every year from funds provided by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts or FAU’s own Ilse and Dr. Alexander Mayer Stiftung to help students at FAU finance stays abroad.

Funding is not available to doctoral candidates. Information on options available to doctoral candidates is available from the FAU Graduate Centre.

 

Which stays abroad are eligible for funding?

Travel scholarships from FAU can be used to fund the following types of stays abroad:

  • Study stays at FAU partner universities
  • Stays abroad for completing assignments or final theses at FAU partner universities.
  • Participating in summer schools or winter schools at FAU partner universities or in which FAU can be proven to be involved (e.g. ABBY Net Summer School, FAU Silicon Valley School)
  • Internships relevant to applicants’ studies (including practical training and clinical electives)

Stays abroad for free field research without a connection to a host university are not eligible for funding.

For which countries is funding available?

Funding is provided for students to spend time in countries all around the globe.

However, funding is not available for travel to Erasmus+ programme countries and Switzerland.

One exception is the European direct exchange programme. Students studying at an FAU partner university in Europe with a direct exchange programme (not Erasmus+) can apply for a travel scholarship.

If you would like to spend time abroad in Erasmus+ programme countries or Switzerland, please check what funding is available via the Erasmus+ study programme, Erasmus+ placement programme and DAAD-PROMOS

What counts as an FAU partner university?

An FAU partner university within the meaning of the travel scholarship programme is a university abroad which has concluded a bilateral contract with FAU or has links to FAU via a formal student exchange programme (GE4, PQÉÉ).

In addition, universities with proven research connections to FAU are also classed as partners. Please attach a letter of confirmation from the relevant person at FAU to your application in this case.

Who can apply?

All regular students enrolled at FAU (Bachelor’s, Master’s, State Examination) can apply for travel scholarships.

Funding is not available to doctoral candidates.

Requirements for receiving funding are as follows:

  • You are enrolled at FAU (with the exception of doctoral candidates).
  • You remain enrolled at FAU for the duration of your time abroad (with the exception of doctoral candidates).
  • You do not receive any other public funding during your time abroad (exception: partial scholarship payments from the FAU PROMOS programme)

When are the deadlines for applications?

Applications for a travel scholarship must be filed in the funding year in which you plan to start your stay abroad. If you are planning your stay abroad in 2022, then you must apply by one of the application deadlines in the funding year 2022.

There are two application deadlines every year:

  • 31 March
  • 15 September

Only one application will be considered for each stay abroad.

You can also apply if your time abroad is already over by the time the deadline expires. In this case, please enclose confirmation from your host university abroad stating the exact dates your stay abroad started and ended.

Which documents have to be included with the application?

Applications should be submitted via the Mobility Online portal. Applications may be submitted in either German or English. For stays abroad planned for the period July – December 2022, the application portal will be open between 15 July and 15 September 2022.

Mobility Online portal

The following documents must to be submitted via Mobility Online:

  • Curriculum vitae
  • Letter of motivation
  • Transcript of records (‘Standardansicht’ excerpt from mein campus with current average grade)
  • Copies of any degrees already held (e.g. Bachelor’s degree certificate)
  • Current certificate of enrolment at FAU
  • For study visits, assignments or final theses, summer/winter schools: Confirmation (e.g. letter of admission of the foreign university or confirmation of nomination from FAU) of the stay abroad with details of the exact time period and, if relevant, the costs involved (tuition fees, participation fees, etc.)
  • For internships: Letter of invitation or internship contract with details of the exact time period of the internship, remuneration and any other benefits such as free accommodation
  • Statement about financial need (see below for template)
  • If applicable, confirmation from person responsible at FAU about existing research relationships with your host university (partner university status)
  • If applicable, confirmation of any volunteering you have done, either at university or in the community
  • If applicable, copies of any confirmation of additional funding you receive

Incomplete applications or applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

How much funding is available?

The travel scholarships are given as a lump sum. They are each worth 900 euros.

Which criteria are taken into consideration when allocating the travel scholarships?

The travel scholarships from FAU are intended as funding for qualified students who would like to spend time abroad as part of their degree. Funding is aimed in particular at students spending time abroad within the context of FAU collaborations.

Travel scholarships are awarded by a selection committee consisting of representatives from International Affairs and the faculties.

The selection criteria are:

  • Course achievements
  • Motivation for spending time abroad and relevance to your degree programme (usefulness)
  • Volunteering at university or in the community, proven with certificates/written confirmation
  • Financial need (personal statement, see application documents)

Students have no legal claim to funding.

Can I receive a travel scholarship at the same time as other funding?

Generally, a travel scholarship may not be combined with other public funding (e.g. BAföG for time spent abroad, Deutschlandstipendium, Erasmus+, travel scholarships from DAAD-PROMOS, funding from the Bavarian University Centres BayCHINA, BayIND, BAYLAT, BayHOST).

A travel scholarship can be combined with partial scholarship payments from the FAU PROMOS programme.

Who provides the funding?

The FAU travel scholarships are financed with funds from the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts or from FAU’s own Ilse und Dr. Alexander Mayer Stiftung.