Germany is an excellent choice for international students. It’s affordable compared to other countries. However, living far from home can be challenging, so managing your money is crucial. Living costs in Germany are about €934 per month, which can be a lot for international students. But the good news is there are scholarships available to help.
In comparison to other study destinations outside of Europe, living in Germany as an international student comes at a lower cost. Below, we’ve listed some scholarships for international students in Germany to make things easier for you.
Here is a list of prominent scholarships in Germany for international students:
DAAD Scholarship Programs:
Certainly! The DAAD(DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) or German Academic Exchange Service, is an organization that helps build connections between Germany’s universities and the global community. They focus on bringing in students, teachers, and researchers from around the world by providing financial support for them to study or work in Germany.
If you want to get a DAAD scholarship, here’s what you need to know:
- You should be a student who has finished their Bachelor’s degree, but not more than six years ago.
- You also need to have at least two years of work experience.
If you meet these requirements, the DAAD will help you out by giving you some money each month to cover your expenses. If you’re a postgraduate student, they’ll provide 850€ every month. If you’re a doctoral student (meaning you’re pursuing a Ph.D.), they’ll give you 1,200€ every month. This financial support makes studying in Germany more accessible and appealing for people from other countries.
Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships in Germany
The Heinrich Böll Foundation awards approximately 1,200 scholarships a year to ambitious undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students of all subjects and nationalities. These students should be pursuing their degree at state or state-recognized universities in Germany. Scholarship receipts are expected to have outstanding academic records and be politically and socially engaged, while showing an interest in values like ecology, sustainability, democracy, human rights, self-determination as well as justice.
Non-EU students in their Masters studies will receive 850€ per month, in addition to individual allowances (tuition fees might be possible). EU students of the same level of study will receive 649€ plus 300€ book money per month. It is awarded for the regular period of study with the possibility of extension by one semester.
PhD students coming from countries outside of the EU, on the other hand, will receive 1,200€ per month, in addition to 100€ mobility allowance per month and other individual allowances (excluding tuition fees). PhD students coming from the EU, will receive 1,350€ per month, plus 100€ research costs allowance (excluding tuition fees). The scholarship is awarded for two years with the possibility of extension twice by half a year.
DeutschlandStipendium National Scholarship Programme
The Deutschlandstipendium offers financial support to ambitious and academically outstanding students from all corners of the world. It supports students at all participating universities in Germany without taking into consideration someone’s nationality, personal or parent income. The scholarship is made possible through a public-private collaboration where businesses, foundations, or individuals sponsor students with a sum of 150€ per month while the Federal Government adds another 150€ to that amount. This scholarship is awarded by the universities, meaning applicants are required to meet the requirements of individual institutions.
The scholarship is awarded for two semesters but it may also be valid for the time which covers the standard period of study. After two semesters, the university reviews the student still meets the scholarship criteria, in order for private funding to proceed. Mentoring programmes, networking events, as well as internships will also be available through this scholarship.
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Scholarships in Germany for International Students
Students with above average academic achievements with a keen interest in politics are eligible to apply for the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Scholarship. This scholarship programme aims to promote foreign students and doctoral candidates who have successfully completed their undergraduate studies in their home country. This scholarship is available for students wanting to complete a postgraduate, doctorate, or research programme. Priority will be given to students of PhD candidates from developing countries or countries that are going through political transformation.
Master and postgraduate students will receive an amount of 850€ monthly for two years. Doctoral candidates and those who come to Germany for research purposes will receive a monthly amount of 1,100€ for three years. Tuition fees can be reimbursed up to 500€ per semester (only courses related to the study/doctoral project). Through these scholarships, intercultural dialogues and international networks get promoted in order to develop the relations between the home countries and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Erasmus Scholarship Programs in Germany
Erasmus is also a wise choice for international students aiming to participate in a full-time study programme in Germany. As an EU-wide grant funded by the member states of the European Union, Erasmus offers financial assistance for one year exchange periods for international students at universities in Germany. In order for you to get the scholarship to Germany, you should be enrolled at a higher education institution and both your home university as well as the German university must have signed the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education.
Most of the major universities in the EU participate in the Erasmus scheme, with German universities participating in numerous study programmes funded by Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus+ scholarships. The grants will cover the enrollment, travel, as well as basic living costs. You can find the complete list of Erasmus Mundus master courses on the Erasmus catalogue. You can search for courses conducted in Germany.
The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Scholarship
Another option is the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung scholarship, which seeks to promote social democracy through academic financial assistance. The scholarship is available for foreign applicants who are studying or doing their doctorate in Germany at a state or state-recognized university of applied sciences. These students are expected to have above-average academic achievements. This is a good option for those in the fields of social sciences, politics, or humanities.
To be eligible for this scholarship you must demonstrate exceptional German language skills even if the course you are taking is in English. The places are limited since only 40 people per year, coming from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, will be taking this funding programme. Scholarship holders in undergraduate courses will receive a monthly amount of 830€. Those in master degree programmes will receive 850€ per month as well as health insurance costs.
