Hilde Domin Programme
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Dear Madam or Sir,
the list of FAQs is intended to guide you through the application process and provides answers
to several questions which may arise throughout the nomination/application process.
Please do take the time to read through this document carefully, before contacting the DAAD
with regards to any additional questions you may have.
All answers provided in this document are given to our best knowledge.
Please do take note that this document is not legally binding. The DAAD reserves the
right to make corrections and amendments due to given reasons at any time.
Yours sincerely,
the DAAD team of the Hilde Domin Programme
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
General questions …………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Nomination and application requirements ……………….…………..……………………….…… 4
Study courses and degree programmes ……….…………………………………………………. 7
Language requirements …………………………………………………………………………….. 9
Nomination and selection procedure ……………………………………………………………... 10
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GENERAL QUESTIONS
1. Why is the scholarship programme named after Hilde Domin?
Hilde Domin was a German writer, poet, and essayist. She became known primarily for
her poetry, which was influenced by her time in exile and loss of homeland. The latter
makes her an exemplary figure for this programme. A poet of the Jewish faith, she
recognised political developments in Germany at an early stage and fled to Italy in
1932, where she earned a doctorate in political science in 1935. Domin spent more
than 20 years of her life in various countries, including England, France and Canada,
as well as the Dominican Republic, which became her self-chosen namesake. After
returning home to Germany from exile, she became known as the “poet of return” and
received numerous honours for her literary work. Among others, she was awarded the
Carl Zuckmayer Medal, the Nelly Sachs Prize, and the Grand Federal Cross of Merit.
2. Nationals from which countries can be nominated for the programme?
The programme is open to students and doctoral candidates from all countries across
the globe except for:
• nationals from EU/EEA/EFTA countries
• nationals from Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the United Kingdom
3. Who is eligible to be nominated?
Students and doctoral candidates, including but not limited to those with a recognised
refugee status and/or an entitlement to asylum, who are at risk of being formally or de
facto denied educational rights in their country of origin, due to their ethnic, sexual,
gender or religious identity and/or their political or civic engagement. By definition of
the DAAD, political, civic and similar engagement encompasses either the participation
in groups or individual actions based on liberal and democratic principles aspiring to
contribute to a positive social change in communities.
4. What does the status of risk imply?
The status of risk implies a threat or risk to your personal well-being, in particular your
right to education, and the safety of your life in general.
5. How can I prove my status of risk?
Evidence, that proves your status of risk, may include a personal written account,
written records (e.g. official documents, social media posts, letters
detailing/documenting specific incidents etc.), or witness statements, as well as official
confirmation of a granted refugee status and/or asylum eligibility.
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NOMINATION AND APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
1. Can I apply for a scholarship or do I need to be nominated?
You cannot apply for a scholarship of the Hilde Domin Programme. You must be
nominated as a candidate by an institution or an organisation that is a legal entity
domiciled in Germany. Upon receipt of the nomination form from the nominating
institution or organisation, eligible candidates will be invited by the DAAD to submit their
application via the DAAD online portal.
2. Can I nominate myself?
No, you cannot nominate yourself. You must be nominated as a candidate by an
institution or an organisation that is a legal entity domiciled in Germany.
3. Is there an age limit for the programme?
Candidates must be of legal age (usually at least 18 years old) at the time of
nomination. As a rule, the last university degree should not have been completed more
than two years ago at the time of application. For applicants with a bachelor’s degree,
the acquisition of the university entrance qualification should in general not be more
than two years ago at the time of application.
4. I am/work as an artist, but I am currently not enrolled as a student at a higher
education institution. Can I still be nominated for this programme?
Unfortunately, you cannot be nominated for this programme. This scholarship
programme is open to all fields of study and all courses currently offered at German
higher education institutions except for fine arts, performing arts, design, visual
communication, music, film and architecture, as well as human medicine, dentistry and
veterinary medicine. However, we recommend that you have a look at the Martin Roth-
Initiative for further funding opportunities.
5. I am an activist, not a student. Can I be nominated for this programme?
Unfortunately, you cannot be nominated for this programme. This scholarship
programme is intended for students and doctoral candidates, including but not limited
to those with a recognised refugee status and/or an entitlement to asylum, who are at
risk of being formally or de facto denied educational rights in their country of origin, due
to their ethnic, sexual, gender or religious identity and/or their political or civic
engagement. However, we recommend that you have a look at the Elisabeth-Selbert-
Initiative for further funding opportunities.
6. I am a postdoctoral researcher. Can I still be nominated for this programme?
Unfortunately, you cannot be nominated for this programme. This scholarship
programme is intended for students and doctoral candidates only. However, we
recommend that you have a look at the Philipp Schwartz Initiative for further funding
opportunities.
7. I am a refugee in Germany, or I have applied for a legal status as a refugee in
Germany. Can I be nominated for this programme?
Yes, you can be nominated for this programme. Please include/provide any proof of
your legal status as a refugee or an asylum seeker in Germany.
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8. I have applied for a legal status as a refugee or an asylum seeker in Germany,
but my case has not yet been decided upon. Can I still be nominated for this
programme?
Yes, you can still be nominated for this programme. Please include any proof of your
current status once you have been invited by the DAAD to apply for a scholarship. As
a rule, the last university degree should not have been completed more than two years
ago at the time of application. For applicants with a bachelor’s degree, the acquisition
of the university entrance qualification should in general not be more than two years
ago at the time of application.
9. I am already living in a country (not Germany) which is a member of the European
Union, the EEA or EFTA and have a legal title/status as a refugee or an asylum
seeker. Can I be nominated for this programme?
Yes, you can be nominated for this programme. Please include/provide any proof of
your legal status as a refugee or an asylum seeker in your country of present residence.
As a rule, the last university degree should not have been completed more than two
years ago at the time of application. For applicants with a bachelor’s degree, the
acquisition of the university entrance qualification should in general not be more than
two years ago at the time of application.
10. Can I bring my family along?
Yes, you can bring your spouse and child(ren) along with you. You are eligible to apply
for a family allowance, which comprises of a marital allowance, as well as a child
allowance (for children under 18 years), if your spouse and your kid(s) reside in
Germany. If necessary, your spouse and/or child(ren) can also be insured via the
DAAD.
11. What type of visa do I need, or will I be granted?
You need/will be granted a German student visa. A German student visa permits
foreign nationals to enter and stay in Germany for the purpose of studying or completing
a study degree in a certain period of time. Important to note is that you will not be
granted a Humanitarian Residence Permit. For more and binding information about
visa requirements, contact the German embassy or German consulate in your home
country or country of present residence.
12. Am I allowed to take up a job next to studying?
Yes, you are allowed to work next to studying. If you wish to work part-time during your
funding period, you are required to obtain the prior approval of the DAAD. This also
applies to unpaid part-time work.
If your income from part-time work does not exceed 450 EUR per month, this will not
affect your monthly scholarship payment. If, however, the (gross) monthly payment
exceeds 450 EUR per month, the excess amount shall be deducted from your monthly
scholarship instalment.
In addition to the latter, students who are not from EU/EEA/EFTA countries have to
ensure that they do not work more than 120 full days or 240 half days per calendar
year without the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für
Arbeit). A period of employment longer than the afore mentioned days must be
approved by the Foreigners Authority (Ausländerbehörde).
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13. Do I have to leave Germany immediately after completing my studies, or am I
eligible to search/apply for a job?
No, you do not have to leave Germany immediately after graduation. After you have
graduated, you can apply for a new residence title, either for search of employment
(Beschäftigungssuche) or for employment (if you have already found a job). If you are
granted a new residence title for search of employment, you have 18 months to find a
suitable job in correspondence with your study degree. During this time, you are
allowed to work in Germany without any restrictions. The 18 months start as soon as
your last examination result is available in writing and has been handed in as proof of
completion of your study degree at the Foreigners Authority (Ausländerbehörde). As a
rule, your studies are considered completed on the day that you receive your final
examination results.
14. The application requires a letter of motivation for the scholarship programme,
what does that mean?
In the letter of motivation (one to three pages long) you are required to outline your
personal risk situation as well as your professional and personal motives for completion
of a study course/programme at a German higher education institution.
15. Do I have to submit my application online?
Yes. Upon receipt of the nomination form from the nominating institution or
organisation, eligible candidates will be invited by the DAAD to submit their application
via the DAAD online portal. Applications submitted through other channels or via other
authorities will not be considered or accepted.
16. I have technical difficulties with the online application. What do I do?
If you have any problems submitting your application via the DAAD online portal and
require technical support, please contact the DAAD’s technical support service via
telephone (number: +49 (0) 228 882 8888) or send an email to portal@daad.de.
17. What do I do if I do not have any certificates from my school or university?
If you cannot provide any school leaving or university diplomas or certificates, we
cannot accept and process your scholarship application.
18. Do I have to send in/provide the originals of my documents?
No. You are required to hand in copies of your documents and if necessary, provide
German or English translations of documents which are in the national language of
your country of origin or present residence. The DAAD reserves itself the right to
request certified copies of all documents handed in, if necessary.
19. I have applied online, and I have forgotten to include/attach a document. Can I
send an email with the missing information/document?
Compulsory documents, that you have forgotten to upload during the application
process, can be submitted at a later stage via upload onto the DAAD online portal no
later than the application deadline (for exceptions please refer to the Call for
Scholarship Applications that you receive upon successful nomination). Please refrain
from sending/handing in any documents via email.
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STUDY COURSES AND DEGREE PROGRAMMES
1. Which study degrees or courses can I apply for under this programme?
This scholarship programme is open to all fields of study and all courses currently
offered at German higher education institutions except for fine arts, performing arts,
design, visual communication, music, film and architecture, as well as human medicine,
dentistry and veterinary medicine.
2. Can I study fine arts or music with this scholarship?
No, unfortunately you cannot study fine arts or music with this scholarship. Fine arts
and music are excluded from the programme due to various restrictive admission
policies.
3. Can I study medicine with this scholarship?
No, unfortunately you cannot study medicine (including dentistry and veterinary
medicine) with this scholarship. Due to special admission procedures, the length of
various medical study degrees and certain legal aspects involved (in the case of
specialised training), the field of medicine is excluded.
4. I have not completed my studies at the time of nomination. Can I still be
nominated?
Yes, you can still be nominated. Once you have been nominated and are invited by the
DAAD to apply for a scholarship you must provide an academic transcript indicating
your current grades up until the application deadline. If you intend to apply for a
bachelor’s degree, you have to submit a university entrance qualification no later than
the application deadline. If you intend to complete a master’s degree within the
framework of the programme must have obtained a recognised bachelor’s degree (or
comparable) until the start of the scholarship. A recognised master’s degree (or
comparable) is required until the start of the scholarship to complete a Doctoral degree
in Germany.
5. I had to suspend my studies and my last academic degree is older than two
years. Can I still be nominated and apply for a scholarship?
No, unfortunately you cannot be nominated, and you are not eligible to apply for a
scholarship. Candidates are eligible to be nominated and apply whose acquisition of a
university entrance qualification for an intended bachelor’s degree programme or
whose last university degree for an intended master’s degree programme or an
intended doctorate was as a rule no longer than two years ago at the point of
application.
Exceptions are made under the following circumstances, which may have a
delaying effect on your studies or your doctoral project(s):
• pregnancy and childbirth
• care of children up to the age of 12 (maximum of three years per child)
• care of care-dependent relatives
• disability or chronic illness
• prolonged, serious illness
• compulsory military service
• if applicable, other circumstances
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The dates of birth of children and periods of childcare or care of relatives or longer
periods of absence due to illness or disability should be indicated in the application
form; the last open text field “Other comments/Information” is presented for this
purpose. The DAAD reserves the right to ask you to submit further documents outlining
and supporting the circumstance/situation you have mentioned in your application.
Proof of disabilities or illnesses can be provided in the form of a disability card or
medical certificate. If possible, the medical certificate should specify the periods of
absence due to disability or illness. Information about studying with a disability or
chronic illness abroad is provided on the following webpage of the DAAD.
6. How can I get further information about the study courses and degree
programmes offered in Germany?
All necessary information (including various databases) can be researched on the
internet. A variety of websites to start off with are:
• MyGuide
• Study in Germany
• International Study Programmes in Germany
• Higher Education Compass
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LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
Please note that in order to be able to complete a study degree in German or in English at a
German higher education institution, your language proficiency in either of the two languages
has to be equivalent to level B2 (or higher) of the CEFR.
1. I do not speak German; do I have to take German classes before I can be
nominated and apply for a scholarship?
Yes, you can still be nominated and apply for a scholarship. You must be proficient in
either English or German to be eligible to be nominated and apply for a scholarship.
Eligible candidates can submit any language certificate(s) or proof of their English or
German language proficiency (equivalent to at least level B2 of the CEFR), not older
than two years at the point of application. The scholarship programme will offer German
language courses at the onset of your scholarship. However, you also have the option
to complete a study degree in English, if the higher education institution you have
chosen offers the study degree programme in English.
2. I have not completed a DSH (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang)
or a TestDaF (Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache); can I still be nominated and apply
for a scholarship?
Yes, you can still be nominated and apply for a scholarship. You can submit any
language certificate(s) or proof of your German language proficiency (equivalent to at
least level B2 of the CEFR), not older than two years at the point of application.
3. I do not speak English. Can I still be nominated and apply for a scholarship?
Yes, you can still be nominated and apply for a scholarship. You must be proficient in
either English or German to be eligible to be nominated and apply for a scholarship.
Eligible candidates can submit any language certificate(s) or proof of their English or
German language proficiency (equivalent to at least level B2 of the CEFR), not older
than two years at the point of application.
4. I do not have a certificate of my TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores, what can I do?
Please submit any official document(s) or language certificate(s) that prove your
English language proficiency (equivalent to level B2 of the CEFR), not older than two
years at the point of application.
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NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
1. What does a nomination imply and how does it work?
To be considered for this scholarship programme, you must be nominated by an
institution or organisation that is legally registered and based in Germany. To nominate
a candidate, the institutions and organisations are required to send a nomination form
with information about each nominated candidate to the DAAD. The DAAD reviews all
nominations and invites candidates to apply via the DAAD online portal.
2. What does the pre-selection/formal verification of applications handed in
comprise of?
Once we have received your application via the DAAD online portal, we will inspect the
documents handed in and verify the application based on its completeness and formal
correctness. We will check whether all required documents have been handed in and
examine whether any documents handed in are forgeries. Incomplete applications
cannot be considered and will be excluded from the next step of the selection process.
3. What does the risk assessment of the applications handed in comprise of?
An independent commission of experts with relevant regional and technical expertise
appointed by the DAAD will review your application with focus on your personal risk
situation.
4. What does the academic assessment of the applications handed in comprise of?
An independent academic selection committee with experts from the respective
academic disciplines appointed by the DAAD evaluates your application based on your
academic qualities.
5. Will I have to take part in an interview?
Not necessarily. However, in exceptional cases the DAAD reserves itself the right to
conduct online interviews with eligible candidates.
6. Is there a quota for female applicants?
There is no official quota for female applicants. The DAAD strongly encourages female
applicants to apply to be able to equalise the gender gap when it comes to the provision
of scholarships for eligible applicants. For more information on the DAAD’s diversity
policy and its stance on equal opportunity visit the following webpage.
7. Are there any other criteria for selection?
No. Your personal risk situation as well as your academic achievements and academic
potential are the most important selection criteria. In addition to the latter, your German
or English language skills, your intercultural experience as well as your personal
motives for completion of a study course/programme at a German higher education
institution will be taken into consideration.
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