The Amirana Scholarship is a hardship fund at Heidelberg University, set up in 2016 by two alumni doctors and run by Heidelberg Alumni International with the medical faculties in Heidelberg and Mannheim.
It gives short-term monthly support to international medicine and dentistry students already studying there who fall into unforeseen money trouble, or who need help to finish the final phase of their degree.
Benefits & funding
- Up to €300 a month for at most two semesters, with a check of your academic progress after the first; extensions only in exceptional cases, on request.
- Bridges a short gap, not a whole degree; awards depend on your need and the money the fund holds.
- Recipients are expected to thank the donors personally and appear as testimonials in print and online media.
Eligibility
- Enrolled in medicine or dentistry at Heidelberg University (Heidelberg or Mannheim site).
- From a low- or middle-income country on the OECD DAC list (countries below).
- Not an “educational resident” (Bildungsinländer), i.e. your university entrance qualification is not German.
- In sudden financial distress through no fault of your own (e.g. a crisis at home, a parent’s lost income), or self-financing and needing to cut work hours in your final phase. A long-standing family shortfall or missing initial funding does not qualify.
- Your study record must point to a successful degree.
- Past recipients may reapply only with a new hardship or in the final phase.
- Eligible countries (DAC list): Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Saint Helena, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, North Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“The Amirana Scholarship is only available for the subjects dentistry and medicine (study locations Heidelberg and Mannheim) at Heidelberg University. … The Amirana Scholarship fund is available to students from low and middle income countries of the Global South who are in temporary financial need or require support in the final phase of their studies and who are not educational residents.” Eligibility
Eligible nationalities
Albania · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Kosovo · North Macedonia · Moldova · Montenegro · Serbia · Türkiye · Ukraine · Algeria · Egypt
+ 128 more
Libya · Morocco · Tunisia · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Republic of the Congo · DR Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Saint Helena · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Belize · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Montserrat · Nicaragua · Panama · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Venezuela · Iraq · Iran · Jordan · Lebanon · Palestine · Syria · Yemen · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Georgia · India · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Maldives · Myanmar · Nepal · Pakistan · Sri Lanka · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Cambodia · China · Indonesia · North Korea · Laos · Malaysia · Mongolia · Philippines · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Vietnam · Fiji · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Niue · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Wallis and Futuna
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Complete the German application forms and gather the supporting documents listed in the call; the whole application must be in German.
- 2Email the complete set to stipendien@alumni.uni-heidelberg.de (post to Heidelberg Alumni International also works) by 15 November, for funding in the following year.
Program timeline
Application deadline
15 Nov 2026
Funding period (following year)
2027