Saar Study Foundation

Logo of the Saar Foundation

The private law Studienstiftung Saar (spelling: StudienStiftungSaar ) was founded in 2009 by the Saarland state government. So far, the foundation has supported over 2,800 students at universities in Saarland with scholarships. In addition to monetary payments, these also include non-material funding opportunities such as workshops, seminars, mentoring, coaching and contacts with business. The Saar Foundation works together with Saarland companies, other foundations, institutions and other social actors. The foundation's assets are six million euros. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Saar Foundation is Reinhard Klektiven , and the Chairman of the Board is Gerhard Theis. Daniel Wagner is the full-time managing director.

Funding program

The Studienstiftung supports students at universities in Saarland. These are the Saarland University , the University of Applied Sciences of the Saarland , the University of Music Saar , the College of Fine Arts Saar and the German University of Prevention and Health Management . Funding is provided in the areas of MINT (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, technology and the special project MINT teachers), business & law, sport & health, music & art as well as language, cultural & social sciences with Germany and Saarland scholarships.

Germany scholarship

The StudienStiftungSaar is involved in the Germany Scholarship with numerous sponsors - be they non-profit organizations, associations, foundations or companies from the Saarland economy . It is the largest sponsor of the Germany Scholarship in Saarland with over 100 scholarships per year, which are distributed proportionally to the number of students among all universities in Saarland. According to the Stifterverband, the proportion of Germany scholarship holders among all students in a federal state is highest in Saarland, Saxony, Bremen and Lower Saxony.

Saarland scholarship

Saarland scholarships are awarded by the foundation and its partners in order to reward a wide variety of achievements or to promote specific subject areas. Academic or academic achievements do not necessarily come first. The scholarships are awarded, among other things, to support international students as well as refugee or asylum seekers in the final phase of their studies. In addition, grants for theses are given, as well as prizes for outstanding voluntary work. In addition, the foundation offers the scholarship holders non-material support in the form of workshops and seminars.

Project "Study Pioneers"

One funding focus is on "study pioneers". The aim is to motivate more students from non-academic households to study at university. This group of students is heavily underrepresented at universities nationwide: 77 out of 100 children from academic families study, while for non-academic children there are only 23 if they are equally qualified. With this in mind, the StudienStiftungSaar advocates greater educational equality with the "Study Pioneers" project (2014–2020 / 22) and the "FutureCoaching" funding measure.

The project is funded by the Saarland Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Transport and the European Social Fund , the RAG Foundation , ME Saar and other companies and actors in Saarland.

At three partner schools, students are currently being supported in the FutureCoaching program, for example at the Gymnasium am Stefansberg in Merzig .