A doctoral scholarship or a doctoral position: both fund your doctorate, but legally and under social insurance they are very different. This guide compares them, so you can weigh deductions, cover and everyday working life.
Short answer: A position brings compulsory social insurance and pension entitlements. A scholarship usually brings more freedom in planning, but no social contributions from the funding itself. In the worked example (assumption: 2,000 euros gross), the position costs you 409 euros per month in social contributions, without unemployment insurance. Student insurance for health and long-term care costs about 148 euros in 2026. As of October 2026.
The most important points
- A position is employment for pay. It brings compulsory contributions to health, long-term care and pension insurance.
- A scholarship is funding, not pay for work. No compulsory contributions arise from the scholarship itself.
- With a scholarship you arrange health insurance yourself, for example student insurance, calculated on the BAföG needs basis (section 236 SGB V).
- In a position your employer pays half of the contributions. This share is missing with a scholarship.
- Tax is not covered by the gross salary alone. The Federal Ministry of Finance calculator helps, and the tax question for a scholarship depends on the type of funding.
What a position means for social insurance
If you hold a doctoral position with an employment contract, you are usually an employee. This brings compulsory contributions to health, long-term care and pension insurance (section 5 para. 1 no. 1 SGB V). The contributions are deducted from your salary, and your employer pays an equal share of the health insurance contribution (section 249 SGB V).
The advantage is that pension contributions build pension entitlements, and your employer helps finance health insurance. The downside is that the deductions noticeably reduce your net pay. The actual deductions on your pay slip depend on pay, health insurer and family situation.
What a scholarship means for social insurance
A scholarship is not employment for pay. That is why the funding itself creates no social insurance contributions. However, the obligations shift: you arrange your health insurance yourself, and you cannot build pension entitlements automatically. Whether and how you insure yourself voluntarily is your own decision. The guidelines of your funding body show what is provided.
For health insurance, the rules in the guide on health insurance for PhD students apply, and the guide on whether a scholarship is taxable covers the tax side.
Worked example: position and scholarship compared
Assumption: the position pays 2,000 euros gross per month. You are childless, over 23, under 30 and enrolled at a university. The position then means compulsory insurance as an employee, the scholarship means student insurance. The additional contribution is 2.9 percent. The amount of the scholarship itself is not part of the comparison, because it differs by funding body.
| Deduction per month (2026) | Position (assumption 2,000 euros gross) | Scholarship with student insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | 175.00 euros (employee half of 17.5 percent) | 112.18 euros (87.38 euros plus about 24.80 euros additional contribution) |
| Long-term care insurance | 48.00 euros (1.8 percent plus 0.6 percentage points surcharge) | 35.91 euros (4.2 percent of 855 euros) |
| Pension insurance | 186.00 euros (9.3 percent) | not applicable, no compulsory contributions from the scholarship |
| Total social contributions | 409.00 euros without unemployment insurance | about 148.09 euros |
| Additionally paid by the employer | about 397.00 euros (health, long-term care and pension shares) | not applicable |
Income tax, the solidarity surcharge and unemployment insurance are not included in the position column. For income tax, use the tax calculator of the Federal Ministry of Finance (in German). Whether a scholarship is taxable depends on the type and amount of funding.
What to compare
- Duration and extension: how long is the funding, and what conditions apply to an extension?
- Health insurance: whether a contribution is provided is set out in the funding conditions; for a position it appears on your pay slip.
- Pension entitlements: a position builds them through contributions; a scholarship does not build them automatically.
- Supplements: family or childcare supplements are regulated differently by funding bodies and employers.
- Freedom and duties: a scholarship often leaves more time for your own research, a position brings work tasks and supervision.
- Side work: the guidelines decide whether paid work alongside a scholarship is allowed. A position also changes your insurance.
Combining a position and a scholarship is not automatically allowed. Check with the funding body and the employer before you sign anything.
What the comparison does not show
The comparison shows contributions and cover, not the total value of funding. A position usually comes with holiday entitlements and the rules of employment law (leave entitlements are governed by the Federal Holiday Act, section 4 BUrlG, where they apply in your contract). A scholarship may include non-cash support such as seminars or networking offers, if the guidelines provide for it. Both belong in the decision, even though they cannot be expressed in euros.
A position is often fixed-term. The length of the contract determines how long cover through the employer lasts. Include this in every calculation, because a short contract widens the gap after it ends.
Frequently asked questions
Is a position always better than a scholarship?
No. A position brings social insurance and pension entitlements, while a scholarship often gives more freedom for research. Which form suits you depends on your goals, your field and your situation, and that cannot be answered in general terms.
Does a scholarship count towards my pension?
As a rule, no pension contributions arise from a scholarship. If you want to build pension entitlements later, check the options for voluntary cover. That is a personal decision.
How does a position change my health insurance?
A paid position usually triggers compulsory insurance as an employee, which takes precedence over student insurance. The working student guide explains the small-job rules.
Can I work on the side with a scholarship?
The funding conditions decide that. Paid side work also changes your insurance. Whether the working student privilege applies is decided by your health insurer on the basis of your employment contract.
What to do now
- Calculate both variants with your actual gross pay or scholarship payment and your age.
- Read the funding guidelines and the employment contract, and compare duration, extension and supplements.
- Clarify health insurance with your insurer before you accept.
- If you are unsure, personal advice helps. You can request it from Academycon (https://academycon.de/so-arbeiten-wir/).
Related reading
- Scholarships for students: types, providers, requirements
- Is a Scholarship Taxable? Tax and Social Insurance
- PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements
- PhD Position or Scholarship: Net Comparison with Worked Example
Sources: Section 5 SGB V, compulsory insurance (retrieved October 2026, in German); Section 236 SGB V, assessment basis for students (retrieved October 2026, in German); Section 249 SGB V, sharing of contributions (retrieved October 2026, in German); GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on contribution calculation values (as of 1 January 2026, in German); Contribution rate notice for pension insurance 2026 (retrieved October 2026, in German); Federal Ministry of Finance tax calculator (retrieved October 2026, in German).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
