Funding Opportunities
As an officially accredited university based in Berlin, Catalyst students are eligible for a variety of national and international funding schemes. Below is a list of funding bodies that have supported Catalyst students in the past. Funding for third level courses is often dependent on your country of citizenship or long-term residence, so we have grouped them accordingly. You can find out about the eligibility criteria and application process for each by clicking into their website.
We recommend submitting your course application to Catalyst before our final application window to ensure you have plenty of time to apply for funding afterwards.
- Germany: BAföG (open to EU and some non-EU citizens*)
- Iceland: Lín
- The Netherlands: DUO
- Norway: Lånekassen
- Sweden: CSN
- Luxembourg: AIDEFI
- Finland: KELA
- AideFi – Luxembourg Financial Aid
- Česká spořitelna – Czech student financing (check with your bank)
*Some good news about BAföG: The German state funding stream is open to citizens of other EU countries and some non-EU citizens too, depending on personal circumstances - please see further details below.
Catalyst Scholarships
In addition to external funding opportunities available through public and national bodies, we are proud to offer scholarships for select Bachelor's programmes, designed to support students from a wide range of backgrounds.
These scholarships are designed to support individuals making a clear and committed step into the fields of sound design, screenwriting, visual effects, game design and digital arts. They offer financial support and professional encouragement to applicants who demonstrate both motivation and potential in their chosen discipline.
At the moment we offer scholarships for the following full-time BA (Hons) degrees:
Each scholarship provides €1,000 per academic year – totalling €3,000 across the full BA (Hons) programme – and is awarded to applicants who demonstrate both motivation and potential in their chosen discipline.
BAföG - not just for German citizens!
BAföG (Federal Student Aid) provides up to €934/month to help cover living and study costs—half as a grant, half as an interest-free loan. You only repay up to €10,010 max, starting 5 years after graduation at €130/month, with debt forgiveness after 20 years. All Bachelor’s and 1-year Master's programs are eligible for this funding.
Who qualifies?
- German students & long-term residents
- EU/EEA/Swiss students (5+ years in Germany or working while studying)
- Recognized refugees & non-EU nationals with permanent residency
- Students whose parents worked in Germany for at least 3 of the last 6 years
- Not available for students on a standard study visa (unless special conditions apply)
How to apply?
Apply via bafoeg-digital.de before your studies start! Processing takes 4-6 weeks, so apply early to meet our deadlines. Our team is here to support you throughout the process. The website of studierendenWERK BERLIN has more detailed information about BAföG in both English and German. You can also call them for advice: +49 30 93939 6000.
Applying for BAföG as a Catalyst student
Applications must be submitted via the BAföG digital portal (which is in German). To begin, you’ll need to find the unique identifier number of your course – click here and look for Catalyst under “AUSBILDUNGSSTÄTTE”.
During the BAföG application process, you will be prompted to search for your desired programme of study, rather than the school. As shown in the screenshot above, do not search for “Catalyst.” You must instead search for the name of the course you’ll be studying here, such as:
- Creative Production (Music)
- Creative Production (Film)
- Electronic Music Production & Performance
- Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering
- Film Production
- Music & Sound Design for Visual Media
- Screenwriting
- Acting
- Visual Effects*
*The title of our VFX course is Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation, but it’s listed here as simply "Visual Effects".
After submitting your application, you may be waiting 2-3 months for a decision from BAföG, so do plan in advance! If you need to know whether your funding will be in place by Tuesday 1 July 2025 (when your tuition fee is due), you should apply before our final deadline on Friday 30 May 2025 at the latest.