An article worth reading about Heinz Monnartz, Managing director of Quality Automation GmbH, and the scholarship programme of the FH Aachen has been published in the Aachener Nachrichten. You can find the articel here.
Translated Version
60-years old FH sponsor awards scholarship to students
Aachen. In principle Mr. Heinz Monnartz was a „Student de Luxe“, and this was not forgotten by the Managing Director of the company „Quality Automation“ in Stolberg. Whereas many of his fellow students at the FH Aachen have to work as server in nightshifts or during the day as temporary staff at companies of the region to finance their studies he is lucky in having an employed wife aside.
On the occasion of his 60 years birthday not so long ago he commemorates the time more than 30 years ago and his fellow students who need one or two semesters more due to their sideline jobs. That creates an as much pretty as meaningful gift idea, a lucky student and a position in the chronicle of the FH Aachen as first private sponsor of a scholarship holder.
Once a year students of the FH can apply for one of the most treasured German scholarships in the internet. Starting in 2009 the FH awarded 30 scholarships, last year they assigned already 70. „The tendency is increasing,“ says Carolina Getto, Fundraising-agent of the headmaster of the FH. One can translate her function as: „fund-raiser“, but that does not sound as elegant.
The applications – approximately 400 in 2013 – end up at a selection committee that besides the course achievement also evaluates the social engagement of the candidates in and outside of the university.
For one year the student who achieves one of the front positions does not have as much financial worries as before. The sponsor pays 1800 Euro to an account of the FH, the confederacy again contributes the same amount within the scope of its scholarship program. From these 3600 Euro 300 Euro will be transferred to the account of the scholarship holder monthly for one year.
Normally companies come to the aid of the young academics. The company „Quality Automation“ in Stolberg, which products among other things are used when producing mobile displays or OLED-television sets has already sponsored two scholarship holders.
That is not entirely unselfish. „We prepare several projects together with the FH“, says Heinz Monnartz, „above all in the scope of Bachelor- and Master exams,“ Maybe the scholarship holder of today will become the qualified employee of tomorrow. 40 % of his staff are former FH-students.
Regarding the matter of self-interest the biggest part of the company donations goes to study courses like information technology, mechanical engineering, construction engineering that means courses, where the demand for good graduates exceeds the offer by far, says FH ‑assistant Carolina Getto.
The scholarship lasts one year, there is no waiting list. The student not getting a scholarship has to apply again just like already acting scholarship holders who have to qualify again at the end of the sponsored year.
Once a year – usually in November – the sponsor and the scholarship holder meet each other on the occasion of a ceremony in the coronation hall of the town-hall in Aachen. After friends, colleagues and relatives had already come up to the expectations of the person celebrating a jubilee in quite pleasant dimension Wilma and Heinz Monnartz met “their” scholarship holder in November 2013 personally for the first time.
The scholarship holder John Küsters comes from Vreden in the Münsterland, studies electrical engineering at the FH Aachen and at present writes his bachelor exam in the field of automatic control engineering. As his performances are good and as he gets besides that involved with the duty as subject tutor it is not his first scholarship.
What needs a student not living at home monthly? The basic costs go from 650 to 700 Euro, estimates Mr. Küsters. „But with that you haven´t either drunk a coffee nor go to the cinema.” Not talking about technical books.
Thus a scholarship is a very pleasant matter. „One can concentrate on the studies more.“
„Many people in Aachen live on the students“, says Heinz Monnartz, who hopes for imitators just as Carolina Getto of the FH. „It is high time to return something.“
The pure financial contact at first now meanwhile becomes friendship. „We are on first-name terms by now“, reveal Wilma and Heinz Monnartz not without proud. For deepening the relationship with “their” scholarship holder a barbecue is planned next.
