Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarships Find answers to your questions regarding a scholarship application

Please note, that the FAQ - list is updated regularly (last update: 09.04.2026).

General information

How often are the Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarships awarded?
The Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarships are awarded once a year before the start of the winter semester.

How long is the scholarship period?
The award period is generally two semesters. An extension of the funding period is possible on request and after a successful aptitude- and performance-based review. The scholarship is intended to support the student, in the ideal case, until the end of the standard period of study in the respective degree programme.

What happens if I take a semester off?
During a leave of absence from studies the scholarship payments will be suspended, in general. When resuming your studies after a leave of absence, the funding period will be adjusted upon notification of the scholarship holder. If the payment of the scholarship is suspended during the leave of absence, any scholarship funds already paid during the leave of absence must be repaid.

Is it possible to receive simultaneous study grants?
Anyone receiving aptitude- or performance-based financial support, on average 30 € or more per month, cannot receive a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship. However, applicants have the possibility to give up an existing aptitude- and performance-based grant in favor of the Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship. During the funding period of a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship, a temporary aptitude- or performance-based grant may be accepted, provided that a leave of absence from the scholarship has been taken. This must be communicated in advance and in due time by the scholarship holder.During this leave of absence from the Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship, scholarship payments will be suspended. In this case, the funding period will not be adjusted.

Is it possible to take up / carrying out a gainful employment (e.g. a position as student assistant („HIWI“) or a paid internship) while receiving a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship?
Please always let us know in advance and in due time if you wish to take up gainful employment.
Generally scholarship holders are required to concentrate on the purpose of the scholarship. Taking up gainful employment is only permitted if it does not impair the achievement of the scholarship purpose. As a rule, this requirement is deemed to be met if the time required for one or more gainful employments does not exceed a quarter of the monthly working hours of a full-time job. This means you cannot accept a gainful employment requiring more time without first requesting a leave of absence from the scholarship in advance and in due time for the relevant period (full months).

Furthermore, gainful employment at Heidelberg University is only permitted if the activities within the scope of the employment and the scholarship are separate in terms of content. This means that if you are funded in the subject of physics, for example, you generally cannot accept a gainful employment (e.g. student assistant position) in the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, without requesting a leave of absence from the scholarship in advance and in due time for the relevant period (full months).

Do I have to pay back the scholarship later?
No.

Is the receipt of the Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship tax-free?
Whether the receipt of the Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship is tax-free in accordance with the Income Tax Act depends on the individual case. As a scholarship holder, you are responsible for paying taxes in Germany and abroad. Please contact your tax office or the responsible tax authority for clarification. Scholarship holders indemnify Heidelberg University against any third-party claims in this regard.

Who can apply for a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship?
Prospective students applying for admission to the first semester of a MINT Bachelor’s or consecutive Master’s degree programme at Heidelberg University are eligible to apply for a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship if they have not yet completed / will not complete a course of studies at Heidelberg University by the start of the respective winter semester.

This means that an application is not possible for students who, at the start of the respective winter semester, are in their second semester or higher in the corresponding MINT degree programme, or have completed / will have completed a course of studies at Heidelberg University until then.
However, Master’s students who have already received a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship during their Bachelor’s degree programme are not affected by this rule.

Please note: Applying for a scholarship and applying for enrolment at Heidelberg University are two separate processes. Therefore, please make sure to also apply for admission, as enrolment at Heidelberg University is a prerequisite for funding.

I am currently in the preparatory course or the Studienkolleg. Can I apply?
Yes, you can apply if you are a prospective student applying for admission to the first semester of a MINT Bachelor’s or consecutive Master’s degree programme at Heidelberg University for the respective winter semester. However, a funding during the preparatory course or the Studienkolleg is not possible.
Please note: Applying for a scholarship and applying for enrolment at Heidelberg University are two separate processes. Therefore, please make sure to also apply for admission to Heidelberg University, as enrolment at Heidelberg University is a prerequisite for funding.

Application process

How can I apply?
The application must be submitted in electronic form via the online application portal provided for this purpose. During the application period usually from 15 May to 31 July (23:59 CET)* each year, you can apply online by using the respective link on this website. Applicants then have to register in the application portal in order to be able to log in to the application portal with their registration data (email address and password).

* The application period can be postponed for important reasons, e.g. if the organised study operations are delayed.

Please note the following steps:

Register in the online application portal within the application period.
Complete the entire online application form, upload the required documents and certificates to the appropriate sections of your online application and submit your complete application by the end of the application period at the latest.

In which language can the application documents (documents and certificates) be submitted?
The application documents can be submitted in German and English. If your documents are written in a different language than German or English, you have to submit an officially certified translation into German or English. Please always upload the original document and the corresponding officially certified translation in the appropriate section of the online application form.

If an officially certified translation is not also uploaded for a document written in a language other than German or English, the relevant information cannot be considered in the selection process and, in extreme cases, may result in exclusion from the selection process.

Which criteria are essential?
The Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarships are awarded based on aptitude and performance as well as the personal career with focus on the MINT field. The following are taken into consideration:

a) applicants for a MINT bachelor's degree programme:
the grade of the university entrance qualification
b) applicants for a consecutive MINT Master's degree programme:
the grade of the university degree required for admission to the MINT Master's degree programme or, if the degree is not yet available by the end of the application deadline, alternatively the current grade point average (GPA) for all the academic achievements and examination results completed till then in the course of studies required for admission to the Master’s degree programme

as well as the following activities in the MINT-field
completed vocational training
national and international prizes, awards and scholarships
practical experience (e.g. internships, student traineeships, working student activities, employment relationships)
issued (co-) publications, lectures / poster presentations given at conferences, as well as participation in conferences, seminars, pupils` academies, pupils` study programme and pupils` working groups

The activities in the MINT-field listed under no. 3-5 will only be taken into consideration if they are extracurricular (not a mandatory part of the curriculum at school or the studies) and no more than 3 years have passed since the end of the activity at the start of the application period.

Subordinately, the scholarship committee should consider other factors such as the CV, the motivation presented in the online application form and the letters of recommendation as part of the overall impression of the respective application.

How do I verify my performances?
a) you are an applicant for a MINT bachelor's degree programme:
upload your university entrance qualification certificate (indicating your final grade) in the appropriate section of your online application form.

b) you are an applicant for a consecutive MINT Master's degree programme:
upload your university degree certificate (indicating your final grade) required for admission to the MINT Master's degree programme in the appropriate section of your online application form. If the university degree certificate is not yet available by the end of the application deadline, please upload a current certificate from the university of your academic achievements and examination results completed till then, including the current average grade (GPA) for the course of studies required for admission to the Master’s degree programme, in the appropriate section of your online application form.

I will not be able to submit my university degree certificate required for admission to the MINT Master’s degree programme by the end of the application period. What do I have to do?
If you are an applicant for a consecutive MINT-Master`s degree programme, ideally, please upload your university degree certificate (indicating your final grade) required for admission to the MINT Master's degree programme in the appropriate section of your online application. If the university degree certificate is not yet available by the end of the application deadline, please upload a current certificate from the university of your academic achievements and examination results completed till then, including the current grade point average (GPA) for the course of studies required for admission to the Master’s degree programme, in the appropriate section of your online application form. The final grade or grade point average (GPA) must be entered in the field labeled “Final Grade/GPA | German Equivalent Grade” in the appropriate section of your online application form.

Do foreign certificates and documents that are not in German or English require anything additional?
If the original certificates to be submitted are in a language other than German or English, you must always upload an officially certified translation of the relevant document into English or German in addition to the original document in the appropriate section of your online application form. This translation is usually prepared by a sworn specialist translator.
If an officially certified translation is not also uploaded for a document written in a language other than German or English, the relevant information cannot be considered in the selection process and, in extreme cases, may result in exclusion from the selection process.

For foreign grades, please also note the following question.

What do I need to know regarding foreign grades?
For foreign certificates, the relevant final grade or grade point average (GPA) must be converted to the German grading system (known as the “German equivalent grade”). Ideally, upload an official conversion in the appropriate section of your online application form. If you do not have such an official conversion, upload a conversion you calculated yourself using the “Modified Bavarian Formula” instead in the corresponding section of your online application form. The converted grade must be entered in the “Final grade/GPA | German equivalent grade” field, and the original grade in the “Foreign final grade/GPA” field in the corresponding section of your online application form.

Links

Calculation of the German Equivalence Grade
Modified Bavarian Formula

What grade is required for an application?
The Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarships want to support particularly gifted up-and-coming students with an outstanding university entrance qualification or university degree (required for admission to the MINT Master's degree programme). However, since other criteria are important in the selection process in addition to grades (see “Which selection criteria are essential?“) and the number of applicants is also decisive, we cannot specify a minimum grade required for the application.

What requirements must be met for the recommendation letters?
We must receive at least two letters of recommendation from professionals in the MINT field (e.g. teachers, lecturers, associate professors, research group leaders, academic staff, lecturers in pupils‘ study programmes or at pupils’ academies) by the end of the application period (usually on 31 July, 23:59 CET of each year).
You can either upload the recommendation letters in the appropriate section of your online application form or the MINT professional can send the letter of recommendation directly by email to hpw_scholarships@uni-heidelberg.de (must be received by the application deadline (usually on 31 July, 23:59 CET of each year).
The letter of recommendation should state why you are a suitable candidate for a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship. In addition to performance and talent in the MINT field, other aspects such as a special engagement and one’s own initiative can also be addressed.
The length of the letter should not exceed 3 DINA4 pages.
Please note that recommendation letters from university tutors cannot be taken into consideration.

If at least two letters of recommendation of MINT professionals are not submitted by the application deadline (usually on 31 July, 23:59 CET of each year), this will result in exclusion from the selection process. Therefore, please make sure to strongly point this deadline out to the authors of the letters of recommendation.

What do I need to consider in my CV?
Please create a CV in tabular form with focus on the MINT field and upload it in the appropriate section of your application form.

If no CV has been uploaded in the appropriate section of the application form by the application deadline (usually on 31 July, 23:59 CET of each year), this will result in exclusion from the selection process.

What requirements must be met for participation in conferences / seminars / pupils‘ academies / pupils‘ study programme and pupils‘ working groups?
Information on participation in conferences, multi-day seminars (e.g. summer schools), pupils` academies, a pupils` study programme and pupils‘ working groups will only be taken into consideration in the selection process if they are activities in the MINT-field, extracurricular (not a mandatory part of the curriculum at school or the studies) and no more than 3 years have passed since the end of the activity at the start of the application period.
Complete all relevant fields and upload proof in the appropriate section of your online application form. The proof must contain your full name (first and last name), allow for a time classification (e.g. date, time period) and show the MINT connection.

Possible proofs are: for a conference participation e.g. confirmation or certificate of participation or registration confirmation | a pupils‘ study programme e.g. certificate of enrolment per semester | pupils’ working groups e.g. information on school report at the end of the relevant school year

What requirements must be met for issued (co-)publications / lectures or poster presentations given at conferences?
Information on issued (co-)publications and lectures / poster presentations given at conferences will only be taken into consideration in the selection process if they are activities in the MINT-field, extracurricular (not a mandatory part of the curriculum at school or the studies) and no more than 3 years have passed since the end of the activity at the start of the application period.
Complete all relevant fields and upload proof in the appropriate section of your online application form. The proof must contain your full name (first and last name), allow a time classification (e.g. date, time period) and show the MINT connection.

Possible proofs are: for issued (co-)publications e.g. letter of confirmation from the publisher or an abstract including the list of authors and details on the publication (publisher, journal or online platform, and date of publication) | for lecture or poster presentation given at conferences e.g. confirmation or certificate, invoice or programme overview including your name.

What requirements must be met for practical experience?
Practical MINT experience will only be taken into consideration in the selection process if they lasted for at least four weeks, are extracurricular (not a mandatory part of the curriculum at school or the studies) and no more than 3 years have passed since the end of the activity at the start of the application period. Practical experience that is or was prescribed in the respective study and examination regulations or during school cannot be taken into consideration here.

Complete all relevant fields in your online application form. In the “brief description” field, state where you gained the practical experience and briefly described the content of the work. Upload proof in the appropriate section of your online application form. The proof must contain your full name (first and last name), allow a time classification (e.g. date, time periode) and show the MINT connection. Ideally, this should also indicate the weekly working hours and the total duration of the internship.
Please note: Internships, employment relationships such as study or school-related employment (e.g. student assistants („HIWI“), working student) as well as permanent employment over a long period of time can be listed under “Practical experience” here.

What requirements must be met for completed vocational training?
Completed vocational training in the MINT field will only be taken into consideration in the selection process if it is a completed vocational training in the MINT field of at least 2 years duration.
Complete all relevant fields and upload proof in the appropriate section of your online application form. The proof must contain your full name (first and last name), allow a time classification (e.g. date, time period) and show the MINT connection.

Please note: A completed “duales Studium” is generally considered as vocational training, as it is a combination of academic training and practical work experience. All other forms of study, however, are not taken into consideration as vocational training. Please do not enter them in the online application form, either.

What requirements must be met for prizes and awards?
Prizes and awards in the MINT-field, are only taken into consideration if no more than 3 years have passed since the end of the activity at the start of the application period.
Complete all relevant fields in your online application form, indicating each award or prize individually (e.g. per round). Upload proof in the appropriate section of your online application form. The proof must contain your full name (first and last name), allow for a time classification (e.g. date, time period) and show the MINT connection.

Prizes and awards are e.g.: scholarships in the MINT-field, successful participation in MINT competitions (proof must include a placement or confirm qualification for the next round), all awards in the MINT field, such as regional awards granted based on a recommendation from the school administration (e.g., the DPG, DMV, and GDCh high school graduation awards).

Please note: The “MINT-Zertifikat” itself does not constitute an award, but it can serve as proof of activities in the MINT field; provided that it contains all the necessary information to evaluate the activity.

Can changes be made to the application and missing documents be added?
As long as you have not submitted your application online, you can make changes to your application and upload missing documents at any time during the application period.

If you have already submitted your application, it is unfortunately no longer possible to change your application. If you notice an error before the end of the application period or would like to complete your application, please contact hpw_scholarships@uni-heidelberg.de. If it is still possible, we will reactivate your application so that it can be revised.
Please note that in this case you must resubmit your application by the end of the application period (usually on 31 July, 23:59 CET of each year) at the latest, otherwise it cannot be taken into consideration.
No documents for the selection procedure (e.g. recommendation letters) can be submitted after the end of the application period (usually on 31 July, 23:59 CET of each year).

If your application has not been sent by the application deadline, you will be excluded from the selection process.

What requirements must be met when presenting the motivation?
The presentation of your motivation is part of the application form. You have a maximum of 2,500 characters (including spaces) to explain your reasons for applying. Please do not upload an extra letter of motivation in your application form, as it will not be taken into consideration in the selection process.

Selection process

How is it decided who gets a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship?
A scholarship selection committee reviews the applications submitted in due form and time and decides who should receive a funding by taking into consideration the relevant criteria (see “Which criteria are essential?). The overall picture of the applicants is also decisive for the selection, this includes the CV, the motivation presented in the online application form and the letters of recommendation submitted.

Will I receive confirmation on the status of the application and selection process?
Please understand that we cannot provide any feedback on the current status during the ongoing application and selection process. After completion of the application and selection process, every applicant will be digitally notified in September.