Scholarships and Grants for National and International Students

Article created on: 25.01.2023 Last updated: 04.07.2024

My name is Ekrem Toroman and I’m studying for a Master’s degree in Construction Management and Civil Engineering. During my entire time as a student at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), I worked part-time and also supported students with their problems as part of my work in the TU Graz Student Union (HTU Graz). In doing so, I specialized in all the different ways students can finance their studies.
In this blog post, I explain how and where you could be eligible for financial support during your studies.

In my previous two blog posts, I talked about study motivation and working while studying. The aim of these blog posts is to make your life as a student as easy as possible.

Scholarships and grants are offered by both the state and private organizations. It is not always easy to keep track of everything here. But it is important to know what the requirements are for receiving a scholarship or a grant. The following three aspects usually need to be considered:

• Nationality
• Academic success
• Age

Depending on nationality, I will distinguish two groups in this blog post:

Group A:

• Students with Austrian citizenship
• "Equated foreigners and stateless persons " (according to § 4 StudFG.)

Due to the complexity of the topic and the rapid changes in the framework conditions (case law of the European Court of Justice), it is not possible to provide a precise description of who can be treated as equated person and under what conditions. In a nutshell, EEA citizens, third-country nationals and stateless persons can be treated as equated persons under certain conditions if

• they themselves or one of their parents are "migrant workers"
• they have acquired the right of permanent residence in Austria
• in the case of EEA citizens, "an actual connection to Austrian society has been established"
• third-country nationals and stateless persons are family members of Austrian citizens or
• they are "refugees within the meaning of Article 1 of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees"

For detailed information on eligibility to apply for financial support from the Austrian state, it is essential to contact the competent authority.

Group B:

• Students who cannot be treated as equated person, i. e. all other EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, as well as third-country nationals who do not fall under Group A
   

The blog post is structured so that you only need to read what is relevant to you. Next to each heading – depending on the origin or residence permit – is the group that is entitled to it. Other requirements and the approximate amount of money needed are listed below. A link to further information is included for each grant.

Financial support from the state of Austria

State study grant (group A)

If you or your parents are not able to cover the costs of your studies from your own funds, you can apply for a state (study) grant. The amount of the grant depends on your age on the one hand, and on other circumstances such as the place of residence of your parents, self-support, childcare obligations, family status (orphaned or married) on the other. The maximum (study) grant is 923 euros per month.

For more information, please visit oesterreich.gv.at.

Family allowance for students (group A and group B)

Students of group B can also be entitled to apply if they can prove that their lives are centred in Austria. If you are in group B, you can contact the Students’ Union – for TU Graz this is the TU Graz Students Union (HTU Graz) – and contact the HTU Graz via e-mail to get advice before submitting your application.

From the age of 18 upwards, the payment of family allowance is generally only granted under certain conditions. One of these requirements is the completion of a degree programme. Family allowance is granted for the statutory minimum duration of studies and up until the 24th birthday, and under certain circumstances until the 25th birthday. Family allowance can be received retroactively for five years (to the date of registration in Austria at the latest).
The minimum amount is 165.10 euros per month. This may increase under certain circumstances.

You can find more information under "Family allowance" on the website of the Austrian administration.

Self-supporting student’s grant (group A and group B)

Before receiving a mature student’s grant, you must prove that you have had your own income for a period of at least 48 months, i.e. 4 years. The age limit is 30 years. In order to receive the self-supporting student’s grant, you must prove that you have earned your own income for at least 48 months (4 years). You must not be more than 30 years old when you start your studies. This age limit is increased by each year that you have worked for more than four years – but by a maximum of 5 years, and up to the age of 35. Currently, the grant offers a maximum of 801 euros per month. From the age of 24 and 27, you will receive an additional supplement of 20 euros per month.

For more information, please visit studieren.at (in German language).

Graduation grant (group A)

This grant is intended for students who have almost reached their study goal. The prerequisite is that you give up your job for the duration of the grant and that you only have a few exams left to complete your studies. If a thesis is to be written, it must have already been started. Students of a doctoral programme are not eligible for this grant. The amount is between 700 and 1200 euros per month.

For more information, please visit stipendium.at (in German language)

Financial support through TU Graz and its cooperation partners

TU Graz and its cooperation partners support students with various scholarships. If you achieve outstanding results in your studies, write really good academic papers or complete study-related stays abroad, you can apply for one of the following scholarships.

TU Graz 100 (group A and group B)

With this funding programme, TU Graz aims to support young talents. The aim is to support up to 100 talented students from Austria and abroad each year through Bachelor's and Master's scholarships.
Bachelor’s students can get up to 4000 euros and Master’s students up to 8000 euros.

Further information can be found under "Scholarships: TU Graz 100" on the TU Graz website.

Merit-based scholarship (group A and group B)

If your academic performance is above average, you can apply for a merit-based scholarship. Each faculty announces merit-based scholarships of between 750 and 1500 euros once a year.

Thesis scholarship (group A and group B)

You can apply for a grant for writing scientific papers at TU Graz. This can be awarded for Master's or doctoral theses.
Each faculty of TU Graz offers support grants between 750 and 3600 euros twice a year.

Students of Graz University of Technology can find further information about the merit-based scholarship and the dissertation scholarship on the intranet TU4U.

Best-of-south-east scholarship (group A and group B)

for citizens of the following countries: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia:
If you come from one of these countries, you can receive 1000 euros a month for a year and do a 2-month internship in the summer. The scholarship is offered once a year by Steiermärkische Sparkasse. The application deadline is always 5th December for the following year.

Further information can be found under “Best of South-East” on the TU Graz website.

Financial support from the TU Graz Students’ Union (HTU)

The TU Graz Students’ Union (HTU Graz) is the legal representative of your interests. It represents all the students of TU Graz vis-à-vis the University and other institutions. In addition, it offers numerous services and organizes various leisure activities. If you are in financial difficulties, you can also get financial support from the Students’ Union.

Social pot of the TU Graz Students’ Union Graz (group A and group B)

All students who have financial problems can apply for financial support from the TU Graz Students’ Union social pot under certain conditions. This support can be applied for once per semester.
The amount varies and depends on many factors. Experience shows that the support is around 300 euros.

You can find more information on the HTU Graz website under "Sozialtopf" (German language).

Funding pot for double tuition fees (group A and group B)

This funding pot is intended for international students who have to pay double tuition fees and have no possibility to get them refunded by the University. You can always apply at the beginning of the semester to receive half of the tuition fees you paid in the previous semester - currently 363 euros.

Further information can be found on the HTU Graz Website under „Fördertopf“ (German language).

Canteen subsidy (group A and group B)

Under certain circumstances, you can get a canteen subsidy. This is funded by the State of Styria. This only applies to students who study in Graz but live outside Graz.
The amount of the canteen subsidy is currently 352 euros per semester.

Further information can be found on the HTU Graz website under “Mensabeihilfe” (German language).

Social fund of the Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) Vienna (group A and group B)

Social fund of the Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) Vienna (group A and group B)
The Social fund of the Austrian Students’ Union Vienna (ÖH Wien) offers all students who are in a particular financial emergency situation the opportunity to receive one-off support every 12 months.
The amount you get here varies from case to case and depends on many factors. Experience shows that the support is around 700 euros.
If you are studying at TU Graz, you can hand in your application at the TU Graz Students’ Union (HTU Graz) office at Rechbauerstrasse 12.

Further information can be found on the website of the Austrian Students’ Union under "Sozialfonds" (German language).

Canteen stamp (group A and group B)

With the canteen stamp you save 80 cents when you eat in one of the TU Graz canteens. You can get it at the TU Graz Students’ Union (HTU) office at Rechbauerstrasse 12.

Further information can be found on the website of the HTU Graz under„Mensastempel“ (German language).

Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK)

The Austrian Chamber of Labour is the statutory representation of the interests of workers in Austria. As soon as you start working, whether part-time or full-time, you are automatically a member of the Chamber of Labour.

Chamber of Labour (AK) study allowance (group A)

The Chamber of Labour supports its members and their children with low family incomes through a study allowance. The prerequisite for this is the receipt of a state study grant.
The amount you can get here is 250 euros per year.

For further information please visit the website of the Austrian Chamber of Labour (German language).

Financial support from other agencies (group A and group B)

There is also a database for scholarships awarded by various bodies. You can always try your luck here.

Further information on grants can be found on the website of the Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD).
 

As you can see, there are many ways to get financial support during your studies. No matter what country you come from, take advantage of these opportunities to make your life as a student easier.