In a festive ceremony, 26 students at Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences received a Germany Scholarship for the new academic year. The university has been awarding this scholarship to outstanding and dedicated students since 2011.
Many students attended the scholarship ceremony with their families and friends. Nearly all of the scholarship donors were also present this year. University President Prof. Gundolf Baier and Vice President Prof. Carsten Behn presented the scholarship certificates to the students and their donors. This year, 14 companies and foundations are supporting 26 students. Many donors have been supporting the university for many years, such as the Frank Hirschvogel Foundation, which is funding three scholarships. The Frank Hirschvogel Foundation was established in memory of Frank Hirschvogel, who tragically died in an accident in 2006 at the age of just 18. His parents, Dr. Manfred and Anne Marie Hirschvogel (née Kennedy), subsequently established the foundation to support young people on their educational and career paths. In this way, the foundation creates opportunities, opens doors, and guides young people on their journey toward a self-determined life.
“The Germany Scholarship recognizes not only the grades on a transcript, but also the hours that no one counts.”
All scholarship recipients are distinguished by their outstanding academic performance and their volunteer work in clubs and organizations. This is also true of Sarah Unruh, who is in her seventh semester studying business administration and is thus already in the home stretch of her studies. Sarah Unruh has been receiving a Germany Scholarship since the 2024–25 winter semester and is thus one of the so-called “existing scholarship recipients.” In her remarks, she thanked the donors on behalf of all scholarship recipients for their support: “Your support gives us more than just financial security. It gives us the freedom to focus on our studies and helps us shape our career paths without having to lose sight of our social engagement.” In addition to her practice-integrated degree program, Sarah Unruh is active in two clubs in her hometown of Steinbach-Hallberg. “These aren’t the kinds of tasks that earn you applause: taking minutes, organizing events and other activities, and getting up early and coming home late during the fair weekend,” said Unruh. It’s often the small, routine tasks that need to be done to keep a club running and ensure that local community life remains vibrant. And this is precisely where the Deutschlandstipendium’s particular strength lies: It recognizes not only the grades on a report card, but also the hours that no one counts. The financial support is one thing. “But just as important to me is the message behind it: There are people who believe in us. People who have faith in our abilities and are willing to invest in our future,” says Unruh. This is a wonderful experience. And it also inspires a desire to give something back. “That’s why I continue to get involved. And I hope that in a few years, we scholarship recipients will be on the other side ourselves: as donors or simply as people who give others an opportunity, just as an opportunity is being given to us today.”
After the certificates were awarded, the college hosted a social gathering to give the donors and scholarship recipients the opportunity to get to know one another and strike up conversations. The event featured musical performances by students and teachers from the Schmalkalden Music School.
All scholarship recipients and their sponsors
Sofie Krieger - Harald Uhlemann
Annalena Kürbis - Finanz-Data GmbH
Rosa Trummert – Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen
Tim Kielmann - VR-Bank Main-Rhön eG
Linda Klöble – Sandvik Tooling Supply Schmalkalden GmbH
Maurice Jäger - HSP - HOFFMANN.SEIFERT.PARTNER architekten ingenieure
Rosim Mohammad - Sofidel Germany GmbH
Jonas Pietsch - Viba Sweets GmbH
Leander Becker - Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung
Jan Hesse – Inverso - Gesellschaft für innovative Versicherungssoftware mbH
Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
Johannes Eck, Leon Gonnermann, Tom Pascal Roth, Finn Oberthür, Dominik vom Berg
Frank Hirschvogel Stiftung
Leonie Stephan, Laurenz Adler, Sophie Steiner
Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer der Hochschule Schmalkalden e.V.
Helene Focke, Sarah Unruh
TEAG Thüringer Energie AG
Nina Wiedow, Lara Selina Fuchs, Sebastian Morber
Additional Foundation Funds
Sha Bano, Hannes Neubert, Issa Adame Saibou
Background on the Germany Scholarship:
Through the Germany Scholarship, students receive 300 euros per month for two semesters—half from the federal government and the other half from private donors or the business community—allowing them to focus more fully on their studies. Recipients often benefit from non-financial support and networking opportunities such as workshops, seminars, and mentoring programs.