mystipendium

Mira Maier, doctoral candidate at UW/H, initiated this project for transparency in the scholarship system. The idea is to make access to scholarships easier for pupils, students and doctoral candidates. The only representative national study shows that existing scholarship options are neither known nor made use of. More than two thirds of prospective university students expect financial problems; but only one out of eight school leavers with good grades plans to apply for a scholarship.

But even if they apply they are faced with problems. From a total of 2,000 scholarship organizations, most students know only about those 12 sponsoring the gifted. The result: 92% of applications go to 0.8% of sponsoring organizations. On the other hand, one out of five scholarship organizations has problems finding suitable candidates.

The initiative for transparency in the scholarship system wants to change this and established the platform mystipendium.de as a first step. In the past students looking for scholarships struggled with databanks that generate over 150 hits for a typical profile, with only 5 to 7% actual matches. The most comprehensive databank of this type comprised 741 from a total of 3,500 sponsorship options. Other scholarships are hidden on websites of specific chairs or in foundation directories. Most students looking for a scholarship best suited to their profile seem to give up quickly because it is just too much trouble. The new platform will relieve them of the tiresome search.

Application requirements for all registered scholarships have been recorded in the databank in detail. Students only have to enter their personal profile to receive a list of scholarships matching their CV, complete with an indication of individual chances of success. The databank currently has 1,248 entries and is being amended continuously. It also provides clearly structured information on application documents and different modes of oral application procedures.

Facilitating the search for scholarships, however, is not the only idea behind this project. A long-term objective is to reach those who have no plans to apply for scholarships although they would easily meet requirements; this group constituted 78% of students in 2010. Here the initiative hopes for support from higher education institutions, university presidents, deans, vice deans, student bodies, course advisers and others.

mystipendium.de was started and implemented by two doctoral candidates who themselves struggled with the complexities of the scholarship market.  

See the homepage of mystipendium.de.