We have a cooperation for the social grants with the Federal Representation of the Austrian Students Union (ÖH). It offers students who are members of the ÖH and find themselves in a special financial emergency the opportunity to receive a one-off grant once every 12 months. There is no application deadline.

The emergency situation may have been caused by, for example: suddenly increased housing costs, study-related expenses, expenditures for the care and support of one’s own children, expenses for medical/psychological/psychiatric treatments, as well as other emergency situations.

To submit an application, fill out the application form and attach the necessary documents (in copies). If everything is complete, processing can happen faster. Incomplete applications must be rejected.
You can send us your application via email or post. If you send us your application via email, we kindly ask you to send all documents combined into one PDF to the email address sozialfonds@oeh.ac.at. By post, the application should be sent to the address listed on the first page of the application form.

Due to a very high volume of applications, the processing time is currently around 3 months. Once processing is complete, you will receive a letter with the notification.

Requirements for support from the ÖH Social Fund are met by students who:

• are in social need within the meaning of the Guidelines of the ÖH Social Fund,
• do not receive federal student financial aid (Studienbeihilfe) (or not the full amount),
• have positively completed 16 ECTS or 8 semester hours from courses and exams in the last academic year (*no recognitions/equivalencies). Exception: No academic performance needs to be proven in the 1st semester.
• are enrolled at a higher education institution with a cooperation between the local student union and the ÖH Social Fund,
• have not exceeded twice the minimum duration of study (Example: Bachelor’s degree takes 6 semesters – you can apply for the ÖH Social Fund up to and including the 12th semester).

The grant amounts to up to €1,500.

In order to be considered for funding, the applicant must submit, among other things, the following documents:

1. Copy of a personal identification document with a photo,
2. Income confirmations of the applicant and spouse or registered partner,
3. Confirmations of support payments from other bodies or persons,
4. Confirmations regarding the receipt of maintenance payments,
5. If a bank account exists, consecutive bank statements for the last three months of the applicant and spouse or registered partner,
6. Confirmations of incurred expenses for housing, basic fees for telephone and radio, household insurance, health insurance, and necessary travel at and to the place of study, etc.,
7. Registration form (Meldezettel) of all family members living in the household,
8. Confirmation of continuation (Fortsetzungsbestätigung) as well as a student record sheet for the current semester and a confirmation of academic success,
9. If applicable, proof of disabilities (disability pass, medical certificate).

For further information and assistance, please visit the website: https://www.oeh.ac.at/en/service/funding-pots/social-fund/