FAU travel scholarships for stays abroad

FAU travel scholarships for stays abroad

With funding from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the FAU-based Ilse and Dr. Alexander Mayer Foundation and Dr. Artur Grün Foundation, the university awards travel scholarships to support stays abroad.

Applications can be submitted online between January 1 and February 8, 2026 via the Mobility Online portal. Please note the different application deadlines for the FAU travel scholarship (February 8, 2026) and the DAAD PROMOS scholarship at FAU (February 15, 2026).

Please note the different application deadlines for the FAU travel scholarship (July 8, 2025) and the DAAD PROMOS scholarship at FAU (July 15, 2025).

If you have any questions about the programme or your application, please contact Ms Elzbieta Garza, S-International. Please send an e-mail with “Travel scholarship” in the subject line to rstpromos@fau.de.

The following stays abroad can be supported with a travel scholarship, whereas stays within the framework of FAU cooperations are prioritized in the awarding of scholarships:

  • Study stays
  • Work on final theses
  • Internships relevant to studies (including medical practical training “Praktisches Jahr” and clinical electives)
  • Participation in summer schools or winter schools

Group excursions and stays abroad for field research without a connection to a host institution are not eligible for funding.

Funding is available for stays abroad worldwide, with the exception of the Erasmus+ programme countries, the UK and Switzerland. In these cases, please check the funding opportunities via ERASMUS+ study, ERASMUS+ traineeships and DAAD-PROMOS.

Travel to study at FAU coming from abroad is not eligible for funding.

  • Regularly enrolled students at FAU (Bachelor, Master, Staatsexamen) who remain enrolled at FAU for the duration of the stay abroad
  • Financial need: Taking into account all sources of income, the annual gross income in the current calendar year may not exceed 15,000 EUR. This income limit is increased by 8,000 EUR for each dependent child. Income includes income from one’s own employment, subsistence payments from third parties (in particular parents), child benefit, BAföG, scholarships, pensions, etc.
  • No other travel subsidies: Students who already receive a travel subsidy for the planned stay abroad from other scholarship programs cannot be supported with a FAU travel scholarship.

Doctoral candidates are not eligible for funding (exception: medical students who are doing a doctorate during their studies). The FAU Graduate Centre provides information on possible funding for doctoral candidates.

The travel grants are awarded as a lump sum. The amount is a fixed 900 euros.

The travel scholarships at FAU support qualified students who complete a stay abroad during their studies. Funding is intended in particular for stays abroad that take place within the framework of FAU cooperations.

The main selection criteria are:

  • Academic achievements to date
  • The intent and purpose of the planned stay abroad for further studies
  • Letter of recommendation
  • Financial need (personal statement)

Applications for a travel scholarship must be filed in the funding year in which you plan to start your stay abroad.

You can also file an application if you are already abroad. Funding is not available for completed stays abroad.

There are two rounds of applications with the following deadlines (subject to the allocation of funds by the Ministry):

  • January 1 to February 8, 2025 for stays abroad that start between January 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025
  • June 1 to July 8, 2025 for stays abroad that start between June 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025

The decision to grant the travel scholarships is made within 3 weeks after the end of the application deadline. All applicants are informed as soon as possible about the outcome of the application process.

After registering with the Mobility Online Portal, the following documents must be uploaded:

  • CV in tabular form
  • Current certificate of enrolment at FAU
  • A current overview of course achievements to date from campo (“list of examinations” with average grade)
  • Confirmation of the stay abroad with details of the exact period of stay (e.g. internship contract, admission letter from host university, invitation letter from the host institution)
  • Letter of recommendation from a professor or university lecturer at FAU in the applicant’s field of study on the corresponding template; for students at the Faculty of Medicine: Letter of recommendation from a professor or habilitated private lecturer
    Please note: The letter of recommendation must be sent by the reviewer directly to Ms Elzbieta Garza at International Affairs (S-International).     Applicants do not have the option of submitting the document themselves.

Incomplete applications or applications not submitted by the deadline will not be considered. The letter of recommendation can be submitted until the application deadline.

It is generally not possible to combine the FAU travel scholarship with other scholarships if they are awarded for a comparable purpose or if they are scholarship programs whose benefits include the financing of travel expenses.

Scholarships from public funds may generally not be used for the same purpose. However, for example, the combination of a FAU travel scholarship with partial scholarship instalments for the stay within the framework of the DAAD-PROMOS program at FAU is possible, as the purpose of the funding is different (travel vs. stay).