Merit-Based Scholarship
Merit-based scholarships are awarded annually after the end of the academic year. Applications are submitted via the “Merit-Based Scholarship” app, which is activated in UNIGRAZonline during the application period. While a merit-based scholarship can only be awarded for one degree program per year, students may apply every year and may receive the scholarship multiple times if they meet the criteria.
Application Period for the Academic Year 2024/25
You can apply for a merit-based scholarship via UNIGRAZonline from September 22 to October 31, 2025.
Criteria
The call for applications for merit-based scholarships is published annually in the University Bulletin. Please pay attention to the faculty-specific criteria! For scholarships awarded by the Faculty of Law, only the general requirements stated in the University Bulletin and the specific conditions for students of the Faculty of Law apply.
Required Documents
To apply for a merit-based scholarship, the following documents must be uploaded:
The detailed grade sheet,
Proof of registration,
A valid passport or national ID card (front and back) or proof of citizenship,
In case of an extension of the eligibility period, the fully completed form along with appropriate proof.
Here you can find the complete application form.
Legal basis / conditions of the call for applications
The call for applications is made in accordance with the provisions of the StudFG as amended (§§ 2 to 4, §§ 18 and 19, §§ 63 to 67) and the current call for applications in the University of Graz Gazette of 09.04.2025 (26.b).
In addition to the general conditions of application published in the Gazette, the conditions of application for the Faculty of Law are regulated in more detail as follows.
Application deadlines
April 21 to May 30, 2025 and
September 15 to October 24, 2025
1. Object of funding
Funding scholarships are intended to support unfinished academic work (diploma theses, master's theses and dissertations) by students of regular studies at the Faculty of Law that incur special costs (e.g. research stay at a foreign research institution, participation in subject-specific conferences and congresses, extensive literature searches, empirical studies - hereinafter: eligible activity). Both the topic of the work and the eligible activity must be clearly in the field of legal research.
It is not permitted to apply retroactively for a funding scholarship, unless it can be credibly demonstrated that the application could not have been submitted earlier, for example, due to a missing confirmation from the host institution.
Women are particularly encouraged to apply in accordance with the two sections of the statutes on the promotion of women and equal opportunities.
2. Amount of the scholarships
Scholarships are awarded in the amount of € 750 to € 3,600 depending on the credible costs of the eligible activities that have been demonstrated in advance. Grants are awarded within the framework of private sector administration. There is no legal entitlement to a grant. The award is independent of the applicant's social need.
3. Persons eligible to apply
Eligible applicants are regular students of regular studies at the Faculty of Law Graz with Austrian citizenship and foreigners and stateless persons with equal status pursuant to § 4 StudFG (beneficiaries as defined by §§ 2 to 4 StudFG as amended).
The duration of entitlement is to be extended accordingly under the conditions of § 19 StudFG as amended. The student must provide proof of the existence of an extension within the meaning of § 19 StudFG as amended.
The applicant must have consistently demonstrated good academic practice during the assessment period (previous and current academic year) and in particular must not have used any unauthorized aids in examinations and written assignments.
4. Form and content of the application
The application must contain
- the application form completed in full and signed by hand;
- a copy of a current registration certificate;
- a copy of a valid passport or other proof of citizenship (and, if applicable, further proof of eligibility to apply as defined in §§ 2 to 4 StudFG as amended);
- Copies of all Master's, diploma or rigorous examination certificates and, if applicable, proof of academic success for achievements that do not appear on any degree certificate;
- current study record (printout from UNIGRAZonline);
- Curriculum vitae in tabular form;
- Description of the planned work and the related activity(ies) to be funded;
- detailed cost breakdown and financing plan using the template;
- Supporting documents to substantiate the costs estimated in the cost breakdown or financing plan;
- Notification of the bodies to which funding has been applied for at the same time (see application form and financing plan) or the amount of the grant, together with the relevant supporting documents;
- two expert opinions from habilitated person on the cost breakdown and on whether the student is likely to be able to complete the thesis with above-average success on the basis of their previous academic achievements and their proposed approach to the thesis;
- if the entitlement period is exceeded (§§ 18, 19 StudFG as amended, e.g. due to parental leave, illness, military service, stay abroad), appropriate evidence must be provided.
The application including the required enclosures (please also attach an overview) must be submitted in full to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Law Graz by the application deadline. All documents must be submitted by e-mail - exclusively from your student account at the University of Graz - to rewi.studium(at)uni-graz.at. At the request of the Dean's Office, individual documents must be submitted in original paper form. In justified exceptional cases, applications can also be submitted in person instead of by e-mail after prior consultation. After receipt of the documents, applicants will receive a confirmation by e-mail to their student account at the University of Graz that the documents have been received. The form and content of the application and the documents will be checked promptly.
In individual cases, further documents and supporting documents may be required. These must be submitted immediately upon request (e.g. confirmation from the supervisor that the books/literature listed in the statement of costs are necessary for the thesis).
All forms and templates to be used must be completed on a PC (and not by hand).
5. Eligible expenses
- Research stays at a foreign research institution/university,
- Participation in subject-specific conferences and congresses - not at the place of study,
- extensive literature searches in libraries/archives - not at the place of study,
- empirical studies.
6. Expenses that are not funded under any circumstances
- Acquisition costs for items with a useful life of several years (e.g. laptop, computer, printer, luggage);
- Purchase of books that are available at a library or institute in Graz or are available in the Austrian Library Network;
- flat-rate accommodation costs and (additional) catering expenses;
- travel costs, with the exception of the costs for second-class train journeys or economy class flights (e.g. weekend fare, red ticket);
- Costs for participation in the evening program of congresses/conferences or congress excursions;
- ongoing (aliquot) fixed costs at the place of study and/or residence during a research-related absence;
- office supplies;
- Printing costs and binding costs for diploma, master's and doctoral theses;
- Printing costs for publication of the thesis.
7. Scholarship contract
If a scholarship is awarded, the scholarship holder concludes a scholarship contract with the body of the Faculty of Law responsible for awarding the scholarships, in which, among other things, reporting, the deadline for reporting and any consequences in the event of non- or insufficiently documented use of the funds for the intended purpose are regulated in more detail.
If no report is submitted within the timeframe stipulated in the scholarship agreement (see point 10.), this is equivalent to the funds not being used for the intended purpose (see point 11).
8. Disbursement
After conclusion of the scholarship agreement, 75% of the promised scholarship amount will be paid out. Remaining partial amounts cannot be paid out before approval of the report (see point 9). The remaining 25% of the awarded amount will be disbursed upon timely submission of the report and if the intended use of the scholarship funds is appropriately documented.
9. Obligation to submit a report
In the scholarship agreement, the scholarship holder undertakes to submit a report on the proper use of the funds (use of funds as listed in the scholarship agreement) within the period stipulated in the scholarship agreement (see point 11.).
The use of the funds for the intended purpose must be evidenced by suitable original documents in the name of the scholar ship holder. This evidence must be attached to the report in an appropriate and well-organized form using the overview (list of receipts) as enclosures.
The report must be submitted in full by e-mail to rewi.studium@uni-graz.at within the deadline specified in the scholarship agreement.
10. Deadline for reporting
The report on the proper use of the funds must be submitted within the deadline stipulated in the scholarship agreement.
The deadline may be extended by the body of the Faculty of Law responsible for awarding the scholarships upon a justified written request submitted in good time by the scholarship holder. The application must be submitted by the scholarship holder to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Law before the deadline stipulated in the scholarship agreement.
11. Sanctions
If no report on the proper use of the funds is submitted within the specified period, the funding amount already paid out will be reclaimed in full and any partial amounts not yet paid out will be withheld.
If the funds are not used for the intended purpose or if no or insufficient evidence of the intended use of the funds is provided in due time, the amount of funding already disbursed but not used for the intended purpose will be reclaimed and any partial amounts not yet disbursed will be withheld.
If it is determined, either before or after the award of the scholarship, that the scholarship was obtained through false statements and/or violations of good academic practice and/or other forms of academic dishonesty or lack of integrity, the person concerned will be excluded from receiving the scholarship or the scholarship will be reclaimed.
