FAQ

Please first review the announcement and the FAQ to see if your questions have already been answered there. If you still have questions after that, please send them to stipendien(at)boku.ac.at. 

The current call for applications for the merit-based scholarship is published annually in September and is published under Scholarships/Merit-based scholarships and in the newsletter at the appropriate time. 

If the call for applications for the current academic year has not yet been published, you will also find a link to last year's call for applications under Scholarships/Merit-based scholarships as a guide.

Applications can only be submitted via an online form, which will be available from 9:00 a.m. on the first day of the application period as specified in the call for applications under Scholarships/Merit-based scholarships (login required). The form will close at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the application period as specified in the call for applications. It is not possible to submit an application after the deadline. 

The link to the online form is provided under Scholarships/Merit-based scholarships. Please ensure that you are logged in, as the link is only visible when you are logged in. Also, make sure that the application period has already begun and has not yet expired. You can only see and access the online form during the current application period.

The application requirements are specified in the call for applications, which is published annually in September at the latest under Scholarships/Merit-based scholarships. As the requirements may change from year to year, we recommend that you wait for the current call for applications to be published to check whether you meet the current application requirements. 

If the call for applications for the current academic year has not yet been published, you will also find a link to last year's call for applications under Scholarships/Merit-based scholarships as a guide. 

No. According to the call for applications, only degree students at BOKU can apply for a merit-based scholarship. You can only apply for a merit-based scholarship at your ‘home university’ in accordance with the applicable requirements there. Please check with your university in good time.

As a citizen of the EEA (e.g. Germany, Italy, etc.) or Switzerland, you do not need to upload any proof when applying – equivalence is assumed. 

However, third-country nationals, stateless persons and refugees must prove their eligibility in accordance with § 4 StudFG and upload proof when applying. If no proof is uploaded or if eligibility is not granted, the application cannot be considered.

The benefit period covers the standard period of study specified in the respective study plan plus one additional semester (Bachelor's programme: 6+1 semesters, Master's programme: 4+1 semesters, Doctoral programme: 6+1 semesters).

Please note: Do not confuse this with the two tolerance semesters (in Bachelor's programmes) for the tuition-free period. For merit-based and need-based scholarships, only one tolerance semester applies! 

The benefit period can only be extended if there are important reasons in accordance with § 19 StudFG and these can be proven.

If there is a delay in your studies due to important reasons in accordance with § 19 StudFG, this can be taken into account when assessing the benefit period. To do so, you must upload suitable proof of a delay in your studies in accordance with § 19 StudFG when applying for the merit-based scholarship. This counts as an application. If the proof is missing or the reasons differ from those specified by law, an extension of the benefit period cannot be granted.

It is irrelevant whether you have earned the minimum number of ECTS credits within a single semester or spread over both semesters. The only decisive factor is that the minimum number of ECTS credits required for the merit-based scholarship has been completed within the relevant academic year.

Grades achieved between 01.10. and 30.09. of the current academic year are taken into account.

In the case of double or multiple degrees, a separate application may be submitted for each degree, provided that the application criteria are met. However, funding will only be awarded for one programme. An application may therefore be submitted separately for each programme. The application requirements must be met for each programme. ECTS credits from several active programmes will not be added together!

Please note: Bachelor's and Master's programmes are not the same programme, but two different programmes.

No. Please note that these credits cannot be added together! If, for example, you have completed advanced courses from the Master's programme during your Bachelor's programme, you must submit a recognition application and submit it in good time before your application for recognition (to anerkennungen(at)boku.ac.at).

The procedures for recognition can be found on the website Recognition/Procedure. Please indicate in your correspondence that the recognitions are required for the merit-based scholarship. Please take processing times into account!  Recognitions submitted too late cannot be considered for the merit-based scholarship. The same time limits apply as for examinations.

Recognitions for the merit-based scholarship can only be considered if the original achievements were made in the academic year relevant to the merit-based scholarship. Achievements from another period cannot be considered.

No, not automatically. Since applications for merit-based scholarships can only be submitted separately for each degree programme, only academic achievements that appear in the academic transcript for the same BOKU degree programme (from the relevant period of the current merit-based scholarship call) will be considered.

Important: Please note that a Bachelor's programme and a Master's programme are two different programmes and therefore academic achievements cannot be ‘added together’. 

You must submit credits from other studies for recognition before applying (to anerkennungen(at)boku.ac.at). The procedures for recognition can be found on the website. Please indicate in your correspondence that the recognition is required for the merit-based scholarship. In BOKUonline, recognition applications must be entered for the recognition of compulsory and elective courses, whereas new achievements must be entered for the confirmation of free electives from other universities. Please take processing times into account! Recognition applications submitted too late cannot be considered for the merit-based scholarship. The same time limits apply as for examinations.

Recognitions for the merit-based scholarship can only be considered if the original achievements were made in the academic year relevant to the merit-based scholarship. Achievements from another period cannot be considered.

No. For recognitions that have already been approved (you can find these on your transcript of records) for a degree programme, you must upload the relevant documents with your application, e.g.
- Recognition notice
- Email confirmation of the validation of 1:1 recognitions
- List of foreign equivalencies already approved by the Dean of Studies, including transcript of records
- Certificate for already recorded free electives or other achievements from other universities

Please note: If you only upload certificates for which you have not yet received recognition or approval, or which you have not already applied for at anerkennungen(at)boku.ac.at, these will not be considered. You will not be contacted or notified if you are missing the relevant recognition or documents. 

Recognitions for the merit-based scholarship can only be considered if the original achievements were made in the academic year relevant to the merit-based scholarship. Achievements from another period cannot be considered.

No, only on a voluntary basis. If no recognitions are enclosed, they will not be taken into account. 

Yes, but only the ECTS credits can be taken into account here. A grade of ‘successfully completed’ cannot be included in the grade point average for the merit-based scholarship. 

Negative grades are not counted; only positive exam results are taken into account.

The grade point average at universities is generally calculated using ECTS credits. 

Assessments such as ‘successfully participated’ cannot be calculated; in this case, only the number of ECTS credits completed can be included in the calculation of the minimum required number of ECTS credits.

Only positive exam results are taken into account.

Only achievements from the academic year relevant to the merit-based scholarship can be taken into account.

Recognitions can only be taken into account if they have already been approved and corresponding proof has been uploaded.

No. The application for replacement of ECTS credits, which must be submitted in advance to Study Services (studienservices(at)boku.ac.at) and approved by the Dean of Studies, can only be submitted by you upon completion of your studies. This means that only free electives can be reduced upon completion of your studies.

However, the replacement of ECTS credits due to your work as a student representative is not an examination achievement and cannot be used for the merit-based scholarship.

No. Therefore, please ensure that all your details and required supporting documents are complete before submitting your application. 

No, please contact stipendien(at)boku.ac.at and explain your situation. However, it is not possible to submit additional documents after the application deadline has passed.

No. Unfortunately, late applications cannot be accepted under any circumstances. The application deadlines for scholarships must be adhered to as specified in the call for applications.