Interim Financial Aid for PhD Candidates
We are keeping an eye out for additional support options. Should you become aware of an initiative that is not yet included in this overview, please feel free to let us know.
Carolin Kania (Graduate Studies Assistant) regularly updates the information on this page. Please still make sure to check yourself whether all information is current when applying for interim aid.
If you have questions, you are welcome to contact the Team Graduate Studies (Lena Nuechter). We will try to help you out as best we can.
*** Please note that the following information is only intended as an overview and does not constitute a recommendation. Check carefully which aid is best suited to your situation and whether or to what extent the aid must be repaid. ***
Solifonds der Hochschulen in Gießen
The Solifonds of Higher Education Institutes in Gießen is funded by Förderverein für unschuldig in Not geratene Studierende e.V. Solifonds offers many types of financial aid, such as:
1. Semester Fees Grant
2. Upbringing Subsidy
3. Unemployment Aid
...and many more. Before applying, please contact the Solifonds per e-mail (kontakt@solifonds-giessen.de) or Lena Nüchter for an individual assessment and consultation.
You can find more information here.
DAAD Notfall Fonds (DAAD Emergency Funds)
The DAAD Notfall Fonds is for all enrolled students at German universities who are in a difficult exceptional situation without any fault of their own. This exceptional circumstance cannot be caused by Corona pandemic and one has to have no claim to other funds such as BAföG. Therefore, this emergency fund can only be requested when a sudden event or an unexpected stroke of fate has jeopardized the successful continuation of the studies. The grant is paid only once with a minimal of 1000€ and maximal of 10,000€ and must not be paid back.
Required documents include a signed letter describing the situation that has led to the acute emergency (based on the selection criteria), detailed justification of the required amount (e.g. monthly costs) in order to overcome the emergency situation, CV (without gaps), enrollment certificate (including field of study, semester count and transcript of records), copy of passport or ID (including residence permit), print-outs of the bank account proving the financial need (3 months), proof of receipt or denial of BAföG, and a statement describing the efforts carried out in order to solve the situation.
Before applying and/or sending the documents you must contact (info@daad-stiftung.de) for an individual evaluation and consultation.
For more information see here.
JLU's transitional funding programme for female postdocs and doctoral students (Übergangsstipendien bei auslaufenden Drittmittelprojekten für Doktorandinnen und Postdoktorandinnen der Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)
JLU grants additional funds to female doctoral students and postdocs whose third-party funded projects are nearing completion. The grant is meant to provide them with the temporary financial support necessary to secure follow-up funding, either through new research projects or through postdoc/qualification positions. Transition grants can only be awarded when the respective faculty agrees to support the application by providing them with workplace and necessary equipment, etc. The basic grant amount is € 1,850.00 per month for postdocs and € 1.350.00 per month for doctoral students. There are also monthly additions for material and travel costs and children under 18 years of age. The grants can be awarded up to 6 months. For more information contact the JLU Büro für Chancengleichheit (BueroChancengleichheit@admin.uni-giessen.de) and see here.
Hildegardis Society Student Credit (Hildegardis-Verein Darlehen) (only for Christian women)
The Hildegardis Society supports women students and academics through interest-free loans and credits. The nationality of the applicant is not important as long as they are Christian and enrolled at a German University. The Society offers different types of credits including loans for female students who have children and who are at the end of their studies (Abschlussförderung). The loans can be paid out in monthly installments of 250 € to 500 € (up to a total sum of 10,000 €) and must be paid back in minimum monthly installments of 120 € after the student started gainful employment.
You can find more information here.
KfW Student Credit (KfW-Studienkredit)
KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) credits can be paid alongside BAföG or other social benefits. One can receive monthly payments of up to 650 €. The credit can be requested by all German and EU students (who have lived at least 3 years in Germany) under 44 years of age who are enrolled at state German universities. Non-EU students who have received their high school diploma in Germany or a German school outside Germany ("Bildungsinländer"), can also apply for a KfW-Studienkredit. Additionally, if you are a family member of a German national or EU citizen fulfilling the above-mentioned conditions you are able to request a KfW credit. The credit must be paid back in monthly installments of minimum 20 €. The interest rate is variable and is always set on April 1 and October 1 for six months at a time.
For more information see here or call 0800 539 9003.
Student Funds of Deutsche Bildung AG
German nationals and non-Germans who have a permanent residence permit or who have completed high school in Germany can apply to Deutsche Bildung AG for student loans. In addition, enrollment at a state-recognized university in Germany or at a comparable university abroad (at least with preliminary approval) is required. The applicant must also receive a positive credit check from Deutsche Bildung AG. A maximum total amount of up to € 25,000 is possible for PhD students.
Repayment: The amount of the repayment should be assessed individually beforehand. It is between 3 and 10 percent of gross income over 3 to 10 years to the study fund.
More information can be found here (only available in German).