The Copernicus Stipendium based in Germany has announced that a private sponsor wishes to finance one scholarship from Oct. 1, 2010, to Marcj 31, 2011, for a Latvian- and German-speaking undergraduate student.

This is not as unusual as it sounds, since sometimes private donors or institutions have a special connection to a country, city, or even university and therefore contact the Copernicus Stipendium offering to sponsor their scholarship program if they accept someone from a specific country, city or university.

Last year Copernicus had just one application from Latvia, but since it did not meet the necessary standards, no scholarship was awarded. Usually Copernicus receives up to three applications from Latvia every six months, so chances are good this time if a Latvian student fulfills the conditions and writes a good application.

Copernicus is a student association managed by students or former students whose aim is to sponsor Eastern European and Central Asian students in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. The association offers 12-15 German-speaking students from Eastern Europe and Central Asia the opportunity to study at one of the three higher education institutions for one semester and subsequently complete a two- to three-month work placement.

For more information about the application process, visit the Copernicus website at www.copernicus-stipendium.de. Send questions to stip-bewerbung@copernicus-stipendium.de.

A Facebook group has also been created about this scholarship at facebook.com.