Students at Risk-Fonds
Students at Risk-Fonds
The Students at Risk Fonds is intended to support students who are demonstrably at risk of being formally or de facto denied the right to education at their university on the basis of their ethnic, sexual, gender or religious identity or their political or civic engagement, in continuing and completing their studies in Austria.
The fund is run by the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH).
Target group:
- Students who are enrolled in a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD/doctoral programme at a university outside the EU/EFTA* which is recognised in Austria, who are formally or de facto denied the right to education. They should be able to obtain a university degree in a safe environment.
- The studies must have been pursued in the country of origin for at least one semester,
- and the discontinuation of studies must not have taken place more than two years prior to the nomination.
Quota: Maximum of 50 grants per academic year
Country of origin: all (with the exception of EU/EFTA member states as well as Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the United Kingdom)
Type of grant: Funding for completion of a BA-, MA- or PhD-degree in Austria
Duration: for the standard duration of study plus two terms; up to three terms in university preparation programmes
Maximum age at the time of application: 35 years
Grant benefit paid: 1,200 Euro per month; tuition fees are not covered by this grant
Closing date for applications: anytime (call announcement available at grants.at)
Application process: The selection of potential grant recipients is carried out exclusively by the respective Higher Education Institution. It is not possible to apply directly as an individual.
Nomination and selection process
Higher education institutions nominate potential grant recipients to the OeAD using a nomination form (available at the ÖH or OeAD). Universities confirm to nominate candidates who, in addition to being at plausible individual risk in the sense of the call of applications, also have good prospects for studying in Austria. Universities further ensure permanent admission to the respective degree programme and that the proposed candidates are able to provide the language certificates required for admission to the programme.
Eligible candidates will be invited by the OeAD to apply using an online application form. Once the applications have been checked for fulfilling the formal criteria and plausibility, a selection committee consisting of one member each from the ÖH, the OeAD and the BMFWF decides on the granting of support. ÖH will handle the awarding and payment of the scholarship.
