Scholarship & volunteering: how to increase your chances
Volunteering or social commitment is not only a valuable service to society, but can also facilitate access to a scholarship. This is because numerous funding organisations are looking for applicants who are not only academically or professionally committed, but also volunteer in social, cultural or environmental areas.
In this article, we will explain how volunteering can help you when applying for a scholarship, which scholarships are even an option for you and which requirements need to be met. We will also show you how to find a suitable volunteering opportunity with vostel.de if you are still looking.
How does volunteering help you with your scholarship application?
Scholarships are usually awarded on the basis of academic performance, which is why applicants with good grades are often given preference. However, voluntary work can compensate for weaker performance, since scholarship organisations not only value academic results but also social commitment, and take this into account in their decision.
Your voluntary work also shows that you are willing to take on responsibility and have important skills such as teamwork, communication, empathy and organisational skills – skills that are valued in both the academic and professional world.
Volunteering can significantly strengthen your scholarship application and help you stand out from other applicants. Your volunteer work plays a particularly important role in scholarships that not only value academic achievement but also social responsibility or an interest in social change.
Which voluntary work is relevant for a scholarship?
In principle, your voluntary work should have a visible social added value in order to positively influence your application. Funding organizations often attach great importance to the fact that your volunteer work fits in with their own activities and values. Specific volunteer activities could be, for example:
Social work: Volunteering in social institutions, such as helping the homeless, caring for the elderly, working with children and young people, or supporting female migrants and refugees.
Education and integration: Tutoring for disadvantaged students, language courses for female migrants, or mentoring programmes. But involvement as a school representative or in the student council is also welcome.
Nature and environmental conservation: Voluntary work in animal or environmental protection organisations or in climate protection projects.
Culture and art: Support for non-profit cultural projects, such as museums, theatre groups or cultural exchange programmes.
Sport: Coach at a sports club, organisation of sporting events
Rescue services: Involvement in the ambulance service and the voluntary fire brigade.
You can also find many of these opportunities for volunteering or social commitment on vostel.de.
What criteria must an honorary position fulfill?
In addition to the thematic focus, the form of your commitment also plays a role. The following aspects are particularly relevant:
How long should the voluntary position last?
Most sponsors remain very vague when it comes to the duration of the social commitment. There is no specific time frame that you have to adhere to for your volunteer work. However, it is of course a sign of conviction and commitment if you have already been volunteering for several months before applying.
Which topics are relevant?
Involvement in areas that match the goals of the scholarship provider can increase your chances. It is therefore worth choosing activities that match the funding topics, be it education, social issues or environmental protection.
How much responsibility do I have to take on?
It is rated particularly positively if you take on responsibility as a volunteer – for example as a group leader, board member or organizer of charitable projects. Such roles show that you have leadership qualities, organizational talent and commitment.
How can I find scholarships that take voluntary work into account?
We have listed some well-known scholarship programs that promote engagement in social, cultural or ecological areas, as well as a description of who they support:
Germany Scholarship“Even if you don’t have a high school diploma, you still have a chance of receiving funding. The prerequisite is that students are actively committed to society or have an exceptional CV.”
Heinrich Böll FoundationFor all scholarship holders who “take responsibility, think outside the box and are socio-politically active – e.g. in the student council, as school representatives, as leaders of international youth camps, with the Green Youth, in the sports club or in the volunteer fire department.”
Friedrich-Ebert-StiftungFor all scholarship holders who say about themselves: “Socio-political commitment is an integral part of my life. Success at school/studies is important to me.”
Scholarships from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes“Our scholarship holders help shape and mold society in a variety of ways, proving that there is no such thing as a typical Studienstiftung scholarship holder.”
You can also find many more scholarships on the overview page of the German Foundation Centre, which you can filter according to your interests.
Find your volunteer work on vostel.de
Are you still looking for a volunteer opportunity to strengthen your scholarship application? At vostel.de, you will find charitable projects throughout Germany in areas such as social services, education, culture or environmental protection, which you can filter according to your individual interests – ideal for a long-term and meaningful commitment, regardless of whether you have a scholarship or not.
Take the opportunity to support a good cause and boost your scholarship applications at the same time!
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