More than just a scholarship – support from the Evangelical Study Foundation Villigst

Every semester start, hordes of new students flood into the universities across the country. For most, it is an exciting time. Living alone for the first time, shopping for yourself and doing laundry. And then there is the degree itself, which is so completely different from school. In the chaotic university everyday life, between searching for rooms and books, a bit of orientation and security does you good. Both have been provided to me by the Evangelical Study Foundation Villigst. It is the talent promotion foundation of the evangelical churches in Germany. Like almost 1,200 other students and around 200 doctoral researchers from all disciplines, I received a scholarship during my bachelor's degree. This includes a monthly allowance that financially supports us scholarship holders tremendously. If you are not dependent to a high degree on a part-time job, BAföG regulations or your family, new possibilities open up. I found time not only to attend the seminars that my timetable required, but also to take interesting additional modules or even sit in on lectures purely out of interest. Beyond that, I was able to devote myself more intensively to my civil society engagement. Learning is by no means confined to seminars and lectures. But being able to engage with matters outside the university is a privilege. Funding organisations like Villigst make it possible. Foreign stays, language courses and excursions are also subsidised or paid for. For my bachelor's thesis, I collected data in Indonesia. Villigst supported me – financially and with competent academic advice. Because if you are a scholarship holder at Villigst, you benefit not only from the financial advantages. The ideational support is a pillar in the individual development of all scholarship holders and also provides the opportunity to take a look beyond one's own horizon time and again. When momentous decisions arise, competent advice is always available. Again and again, doubts plagued me: am I studying the right thing? What comes after the bachelor's degree? What career path do I want to pursue? In conversations at Villigst, I was not given direct answers, but the advisers understood how to pose the right questions in return and then offer appropriate tips. It was very helpful – I am now studying for a master's degree and am very satisfied with my choice. But the ideational support goes beyond advice. 

 At summer universities you can get a taste of unfamiliar disciplines – I took an exciting seminar on critical masculinity – and working groups offer the opportunity to work on exciting topics with other interested people. The latter are organised entirely by scholarship holders. After receiving my scholarship offer, I submitted a proposal at the twice-yearly scholarship holder conference to establish a working group on the topic of sustainability. It was accepted by a large majority and exciting weekends with interesting speakers, great scholarship holders and stimulating conversations were thus assured. We dealt with brown coal power generation, post-growth economies or nudging – the "nudge" for environmentally friendly behaviour. All participants have different backgrounds, which is what makes the level of meetings at Villigst. The "Villigst spirit" lives through the people you meet once and often several times over. And the study foundation is always pleased to welcome new scholarship holders. It is looking for committed young people who can be enthusiastic about their field of study and have an interest in interdisciplinary, social and political topics. The prerequisite is that the third semester of study has not yet been exceeded. You should generally be able to identify with the church and Protestantism, but you do not necessarily have to be an active or practising Christian. For example, during my school days I mentored confirmation candidates and did my voluntary service with a church-based organisation. Because Villigst thrives on diversity, students from non-academic family backgrounds and from universities of applied sciences are explicitly encouraged to apply. Application periods are always from 15 October to 1 March for funding from the winter semester and from 15 April to 1 September for funding from the summer semester. An application is worthwhile – there is nothing to lose and much to gain.

Further information: https://www.evstudienwerk.de/bewerbung/studium/bewerbung.html

Jakob Nehls