Several funding sources may support one course of study, but their conditions need to fit together. Being eligible for two programmes separately does not automatically mean both can pay their full amounts at the same time. Compare the rules before relying on combined awards or payments.
Describe each source completely
For each source, record the provider, purpose, period, amount, cash or non-cash benefit and any repayment obligation. Show whether it is awarded or merely applied for. The label “scholarship” is not enough for an assessment. Reimbursement of travel expenses may be treated differently from regular support for living costs.
Read the provisions concerning other funding, employment income and reporting duties. Do not search only for the word “combination”. Relevant terms may appear under deductions, exclusions, changes or obligations. Many DAAD details are programme-specific, so an answer about another scholarship cannot automatically be transferred to yours.
Ask both responsible organisations
Send a precise written question identifying the other programme, its purpose and the overlapping dates. Ask whether the combination is allowed, whether either amount changes and what evidence is required. A general verbal answer given without the full details may be difficult to connect to your case later.
In a hypothetical situation, living-cost funding overlaps with a grant for one particular trip. Whether they may coexist depends on the rules. It would be equally inaccurate to assume that every overlap is prohibited or that different programme names automatically mean different funding purposes.
Update the budget after clarification
Until the position is resolved, do not treat the full combined amount as confirmed spendable income. Keep an unresolved item in the plan. If one award is reduced or excluded, revise the remaining funding need before taking on additional commitments.
Keep the replies together with the information you supplied at the time. Report relevant later changes, such as an extension or additional grant, according to each programme's instructions. An earlier assessment does not necessarily cover a new situation. Careful coordination reduces the risk of discovering that money already spent must be returned. It also gives you a clearer basis for deciding whether any remaining shortfall needs another form of financing.
Document an overlap step by step
Suppose a hypothetical student already receives support from Programme A and is awarded Programme B for three overlapping months. They first compare the purposes of the two awards. They then read both sets of rules for reporting other assistance and for funding the same expenses more than once. The check does not end merely because only one programme explicitly mentions combinations.
The enquiry identifies the precise period, regular payment and any one-off allowance. If part of the award concerns travel, it is described separately. This gives the provider a clear basis for its answer. A reply that “other scholarships are sometimes possible” would still be too general; the student asks for an answer tied to the actual awards described.
Any conditions in the reply become tasks. Perhaps an award letter must be supplied later or the final amount reported. The task record includes the responsible organisation, deadline and evidence of completion. Conditions remain visible even after the first payment has arrived.
Check periods as well as amounts
An extension can turn two previously consecutive awards into overlapping support. A back payment may also concern an earlier period. Keep both funded months and actual payment dates in the record. The bank receipt date alone does not establish which months the payment was intended to support.
If clarification leads to a recovery request, compare its reasoning and period with your records. Ask about unclear points promptly and observe any formal deadlines. Do not assume another unconfirmed grant will pay the amount back. The foundation remains a complete and accurate account of all the support involved, together with the written responses based on that account.
