»Seizing Opportunities« - The German National Scholarship
The Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) funding programme "Seizing Opportunities" - the German National Scholarship - is aimed at high-achieving students from all faculties at HHU. All students can receive funding from the first semester of their Bachelor's degree to the completion of their Master's degree or state examination. In the winter semester 2024/25, 442 students from all faculties at HHU were supported with the German National Scholarship.
The programme is based on the "matching" procedure: The federal government provides €150 per month for each scholarship. This amount is matched by private donors, companies or foundations, so that each scholarship holder is supported with €300 per month. In addition to financial support, this programme enables scholarship holders to take part in events with "their" benefactors. A scholarship thus promises additional insights into the most diverse areas of science as well as social, cultural and economic life in the city and region of Düsseldorf. The idealistic support concept for scholarship holders was honoured by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft in the nationwide competition "Die Besten begleiten".
Detailed information can be found on the official website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Application process 2026/2027
The new application process for the 2026/2027 academic year will begin on July 1, 2026, and end on August 31, 2026 (for all HHU students) or September 15, 2026 (for first-semester students or individuals transferring from other universities to HHU for a master's degree). During this period, you will find a link to the online application portal here.
Scholarship award ceremony 2025/26
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) continues to lead the way in North Rhine-Westphalia: with the support of 109 companies, foundations, and private individuals, as well as federal funding, the university is supporting 476 students this year—more than any other university in NRW. Approximately €1.7 million is currently being invested in the university’s own program, "Seizing Opportunities” – the German National Scholarship at HHU.
You can find the full report here
