Best of South-East is a scholarship scheme in collaboration with and funded by Steiermärkische Sparkasse aimed on excellent students from South-Eastern Europe. The 12-month scholarship program offers up to 12.00 Euros and a combination of academic and job training aiming at easier entry into professional life.
Call 2026.2027
subject to the final decision by the relevant committees
- Contact us for access to the application tool by January 20, 2026 ➜ instructions
- Deadline = January 22, 2026, 1 pm CET
Info session (online, in English)
The Best of South-East programs offers the opportunity for students to combine courses at University of Graz with practical experience at Steiermärkische Sparkasse.
Join one of our online information sessions for more details:
- tbd (previous: 23 October, 13 November, 18 December 2025 or 8 January 2026 at 1pm CET)
- Meeting link: https://unimeet.uni-graz.at/b/gra-c29-vdh
Scholarship Period
The scholarship period is 12 months (beginning of September to end of August the following year). Shorter scholarship periods are NOT possible. For selected candidates, the center of life for the full scholarship period must be Graz (exception: trainees during their practice period in the program which is spent in South-Eastern Europe)
- Degree students of University of Graz selected for the program will continue their degree during the scholarship period.
- All other students selected for the program will be enrolled as exchange students for the duration of the scholarship period.
What the scholarship covers
- Max. EUR 12.000 in scholarship funds
Combining and funding the Best of South-East scholarship period at University of Graz with any other exchange program at the same time is NOT permitted. Selected candidates may NOT enter into or hold an employment contract with University of Graz during the scholarship period - Exemption from tuition fee at University of Graz
Student union fee is to be paid by each candidate once per semester - German Intensive Course at Treffpunkt Sprachen, University of Graz
- Various events for Best of South-East candidates throughout the scholarship year
You can apply for the program if you
- are a citizen of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia or Slovenia
- are a student or recent graduate of accredited universities in one of the above-mentioned countries or a degree-student of the University of Graz in business, economics or law
- are a native-speaker of Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Macedonian, Serbian or Slovenian
- speak German at level B1 (for trainee position) or A2 (for internship position) and have an excellent command of English
- are max. 27 years of age at the time of the application
Academic requirements depending on program version are as follows:
- The trainee program is open to applicants who at the time of application have completed their bachelor degree or are enrolled in the 4th year of a 240 ECTS bachelor / integrated program or in a master / PhD program
- The internship program is open to students at all levels as well as recent graduates
- Contact incoming.exchange(at)uni-graz.at no later than 20 January 2026 and provide the information necessary for the application start → click here
- Check inbox and spam folder for the email with the application instructions
- Complete the online application which includes
- a short data entry
- the upload of your intended courses (= courses you are interested in taking in case you are selected for the program). For an insight into courses → click here for course search
- the upload of the required documents → checklist of documents
Application Deadline = 22 January 2026, 1pm CET
Note that incomplete or late applications will NOT be accepted!
For an overview of the required documents click here.
Documents must be provided either in German or in English. If documents are officially issued in national language only an official translation of the document into English or German is also required.
- Legal & academic evaluation of applications
- regional pre-selection in relevant country in the region
- final selection
Grantees selected for the program will sign a mobility-agreement and then start the preparations for their program period:
- degree students of University of Graz will continue their degree program during the scholarship period.
- Incoming students from other universities will be enrolled as exchange students for the duration of the scholarship period.
Please note: Combining and funding the Best of South-East scholarship period at University of Graz with any other exchange program at the same time is NOT permitted. Selected candidates may NOT enter into or hold an employment contract with University of Graz during the scholarship period. Steiermärkische Verwaltungssparkasse and University of Graz reserve the right to dismiss students from the program before the end of the program in case they do not adhere to the program guidelines.
Selected grantees will find information to help plan their stay at the University of Graz on our Orientation Website.
Which courses can I attend at the University of Graz?
Which courses you will attend depends on your field and level of study, your interests and the availability of the courses. When uploading your intended courses to your online application, you will list courses from the field and level of study at University of Graz you are applying for.
Do I have to send original documents by post?
No, it is not necessary to send documents by post. You must have completed the data entry and uploaded your intended courses as well as all required documents in the online application by the application deadline at the latest. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
What is the duration of the programme?
Both options (internship and trainee program) last exactly 12 months (September - August of the following year). Shorter stays are NOT possible.
Are there any attendance rules in Graz / at the University of Graz?
Students selected for the programme must be based in Graz and must be present in Graz for the entire duration of the programme. Exception: students selected as trainees will undertake an internship abroad during the summer months at the end of the programme phase, in accordance with the guidelines of Steiermärkische Sparkasse.
What is the difference between the trainee and internship programme?
The internship programme focuses on studying: You attend courses at the University of Graz for 1 year and do a 2-month internship at the bank during the summer months.
In the trainee programme, the focus lies on practical experience: You will get practical insights into working at the bank for a year and at the same time complete some courses at the University of Graz.
I finish my bachelors's degree after the application deadline - can I apply for the trainee programme?
If your bachelor’s programme is four years long and you are in your fourth year at the time of application, you may apply for the internship programme or the trainee programme, provided you can demonstrate a B1 level of German.
If your bachelor’s programme is three years long, you can only apply for the internship programme.
Will I get a degree from the University of Graz at the end of my stay?
- Degree students of University of Graz selected for the programme will continue their degree at the University of Graz during their Best of South-East scholarship year.
- Selected students not enrolled at University of Graz yet, will be enrolled as exchange students for the duration of one academic year. At the end of their stay, they will receive a transcript of records and a confirmation of their participation in the Best of South-East programme. However, they will not receive a degree from the University of Graz.