Stiftung Mercator

30 places are available for the first year of the programme, which started in September 2010. In the four years up to the Abitur (university entrance qualification), students will receive particular support and tuition in four areas: reading and writing, choosing a degree course, a taste of university, and mentoring. Participants are not charged any sort of fee – on the contrary, they even receive an additional educational allowance to cover expenses such as books.

If the programme participants decide to embark on a degree course at the University of Duisburg-Essen once they have taken their Abitur, they receive both non-material and financial support in a second phase up to bachelor degree level. They have the same supervisors throughout both stages and are accompanied every step of the way. At the same time, parents and schools are involved in the process through targeted information events. Starting next winter semester, a group of 20 first years will be enrolled directly in the programme’s second tuition phase and given support up to bachelor degree level.

Selection process
At its start, the programme will work together with selected project schools in the region which have a large proportion of pupils who have a migrant background or are from families without university experience. To apply, candidates must demonstrate an interest in learning, good grades in their last report or sufficient ability proven in some other way, plus social engagement.

The goal is to increase the proportion of people of migrant background and with non-university-educated parents among high school and university graduates. In the long term, this should reduce the existing imbalance in terms of school and university qualifications between people with and without a migrant background.