Funding options

Getting financial support for your internship abroad.

Erasmus+

General Erasmus+ funding information

Erasmus+ provides funding for student internships at a host institution or organisation in one of the 33 participating programme countries. This does not include, however, internships in EU institutions or organisations or national diplomatic representations and organisations that run EU programmes. You can find further information on the website of the NA DAAD (German).

Duration of Stay

Minimum duration of stay for internships abroad:

2 Months

Maximum duration of stay per study cycle:

12 Months (360 Days) per study cycle (Bachelor or Master)

 

Information on Erasmus+ funding

The amount of funding for Erasmus+ student exchanges depends on the cost of living in the relevant destination and is decided by the DAAD. The following funding rates therefore serve as a reference.

The maximum possible funding period and funding amount is determined by the sum, approved by the DAAD in the so called "Zuwendungsvertrag".
The funding amount for student mobilities is based upon the information on the duration of the stay submitted in the online application System Mobility Online, as well as the availabe budget. Regarding this, it is possible that the funding period is shorter, than the duration of the student's stay abroad. The students will be informed about the exact amount of the grant by receiving the "Grant Agreements".

Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences is currently funding from the Erasmus+ Call 2022. Deviations from this are possible in special cases.

In the academic year 2022/23 (Winter Semester 22/23 and Summer Semester 23) the maximum funding period for a stay of one semester is 90 days and for a planned stay of two semesters it is 150 days - although the stay abroad may lasts longer. Is the duration of the stay shorter than 90 days, the Erasmus+ funding will be calculated based on the exact amount of days.
The difference between funding period and duration of the stay is called "Zero-Grant" as there is no mobility grant for this period. Even if you are receiving a Zero-Grant funding you are still an Erasmus+ student during your whole mobility.

Erasmus+ funding rates

 

Guest Country

funding rate per month

funding rate per semesterMofunding rate two semesters

Country Group I

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Sweden

600€

1.800€3.000€

Country Group II

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain

540€

1.620€2.700€

Country Group III

Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Northern Macedonia, Turkey

490€

1.470€2.450€

 

Information on Top-Ups in the Erasmus+ programme

In addition to the Erasmus+ mobility funding, there is the possibility to apply for the following Top-Ups.

Erasmus+ Top-Ups

Top-Up

Amount

Traineeship Top-Up150€ (Erasmus+ trainees automatically receive this Top-Up)

Top-Up for Green Travel

50 Euro once
+ up to 4 Travel Days

Social Top-Up for first-time Academics

250€/Month

Social Top-Up for Students in Employment

250€/Month

Social Top-Up for Students with disability or chronic illness (GdB – degree of disability - 20 and up)

250€/Month

Social Top-Up for Students with Children

250€/Month

Note: Only one Social Top-Up can be granted. If you are elligible for more than one Social Top-Up you only need to submit the proof for one of the Social Top-Ups. The Social Top-Up can be combined with the Top-Up for Green Travel and the Traineeship Top-Up.

After you have submitted your Online Application in Mobility Online and have received a confirmation of your application through the International Office, we will send you a form for the Top-Up application.

Proofs have to be handed in German or English language.

1. Top-Up for „Green Travel“

You can apply for this Top-Up, if you will travel to the partner institution and/or from the partner institution with one of the following means of transport, which are classified as sustainable by the DAAD (at least 50% of the travel distance between the place of residence and the partner institution must be travelled sustainable):

  • Train
  • Car pool
  • Bus
  • Bicycle
  • by foot

The amount of funding is a one-time payment of 50 euros; in addition, there is the possibility of funding for up to 4 additional days of travel.

To apply for the Green Travel Top-Up, please hand in an informal description and explanation of your sustainable travel route before your stay abroad.
This should include a comparative analysis of two possible ways of travel – e.g. by emission calculation between car and train. If you want to apply for additional travel days you also have to submit a comparative analysis of the travel duration of both ways of travel.

After your stay abroad please hand in your tickets (as scan or copy) or picture records, if you travelled by bike/car pool/foot.


2. Social Top-Up for first-time academics

Students can apply for this Top-Up under the following conditions:

If there are two parents:

If both parents are known, then students can apply for this Social Top-Up if neither parent has an academic degree. If one parent does not have an academic degree and the other does, then this Social Top-Up cannot be granted.

In the case of one parent:

If only one parent is known, then only this parent can be considered. If this parent has an academic degree, this Social Top-Up is not granted. If this parent does not have an academic degree and the other parent is not known, this Social Top-Up can be granted.

Academic degree:

An academic degree is a degree obtained at a university, a university of cooperative education (Berufsakademie) or a university of applied sciences (within or outside Germany). In the skilled crafts sector, the master craftsman's diploma is not considered an academic degree.
In case of an international degree, the student is responsible for the proof that it is not an academic degree.

Please submit as proof for the eligibility of this Top-Up an employment contract with the job title, a job profile or a similar document stating the current job of your parent(s).

3. Social Top-Up for students in employment

Students who have been working in one or more jobs before starting their studies abroad are eligible to apply for this Social Top-Up.

Students can apply for this Top-Up under the following conditions:

Period of employment:

At least 6 months of continuous employment before the start of mobility (self-employment activities are excluded)

Net earnings (min.):

min. 450 EUR (net earnings per month)

Net earnings (max.):

max. 850 EUR (net earnings per month)

Continuation of the employment:

Another prerequisite for applying for this top-up is that the employment can NOT be continued during the stay abroad.
In the case of an employment contract, termination is not a prerequisite; the employment contract can also be paused.

Please submit a copy of your employment contract, as well as a proof filled out by your employer, that the employment is terminated or paused during your stay abroad. If your employment is terminated during your stay abroad, you can also submit the termination.

4. Social Top-Up for students with child(ren)

Students who travel abroad with their child(ren) to study abroad can apply for this Top-Up. The prerequisite is that the child(ren) are taken along during the entire stay. The grant is awarded per family, regardless of the number of children. It is also possible to apply if a partner is travelling with the family, double funding is not possible.
Additional Information can be found on the website of the NA DAAD.

Please submit a copy of the birth certificate or (travel) passport of your child(ren) as well as proof of travel documents.

5. Social Top-Up for students with disability or chronic illness

Students with a "degree of disability (GdB) of 20 or more" or a chronic illness that means an additional financial need, can apply for this Top-Up. A list of chronic diseases can be found on the website of the RKI.

Please submit your severly disabled pass as proof of your severe disability.

For proof of your chronic illness, please submit a medical certificate stating that you have additional financial needs due to your illness. It does not have to state the nature of the illness or the extent of the additional financial need. This certificate must not be older than 6 months.

PROMOS

Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences awards PROMOS scholarships providing partial funding financed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Depending on the relevant destination country, these scholarships amount to € 350, 450 € or € 550 for each month funded. Students planning internships outside the Erasmus+ programme countries with a minimum stay of three months are eligible for this funding.

Applications are to be submitted through the International Office. Scholarships recipients are selected twice a year by the Comitee of International Relations.

Application deadlines:

  • for internships in the summer semester: 15 January
  • for internships in the winter semester: 15 June

Application documents:

  • completed online application
  • training agreement (or an internship contract between the intern and the internship organisation)
  • current Transcript of Records from QISPOS
  • letter of motivation (approximately 1 page)

See also a step-by-step guide to internships abroad.

Selection criteria:

  • Quality of the Letter of Motivation
    • Relevance to studies
    • Extracurricular activities
  • Average grades / average grades for language courses

 

Want to learn more about PROMOS? Look here.

German Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG)

Internships abroad by German students can also be funded under the German Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG). One or two practical semesters integrated into the study program (that is, the achievements abroad are credited to the course) within the European Union can be funded. For internships outside the EU, a subject-specific justification is required. German students who do not receive BAFöG in Germany are also advised to apply, as the subsidy rates are higher due to the additional costs for staying abroad. In any case, all applications are to be submitted to the BAföG office for the given destination country (not to the BAFöG office in Nordhausen).

By the way: The funding can be combined with Erasmus+ or PROMOS, as these are only partially credited to BAFöG.

For more information, see: https://www.bafög.de/de/auslandsfoerderung-384.php (only available in German).

Other Funding Options

In addition, there are a number of different scholarships to promote study periods abroad. An overview is given by the scholarship database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).