Scholarships for Local and International Students in Germany

Germany is known for its inexpensive education system.  There is no tuition fee or a nominal tuition fee; hence, Universities do not provide any scholarships. But International students can apply for scholarships from numerous organizations and foundations.

BAfoG (Federal Education and Training Assistance Act): national educational assistance agencies that provide financial assistance to students.

DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service):
DAAD jointly works with German universities in order to promote international academic exchange. DAAD provides scholarship only to Graduate students pursuing Masters, Doctoral students pursuing PhD, for Post doctoral work/ research etc.

Eligibility to Apply for DAAD Scholarships

There is no age limit in DAAD programmes. But for study scholarship, your last university exam must be recent and is taken into consideration.

The selection criteria depend on the program’s profile. The criteria for the selection of the German scholarships include personal aptitude, performance and accomplishments, recommendation letter, motivation letters and major emphasis to German language skills.

Language requirements for DAAD Scholarships

For courses in English:
For courses in German:
  • The candidate must have German skills completed at A2 level. They must also have German language courses at the level A3 or B1.

Applying Procedure

The scholarships available vary as per your country of origin. Abide by the following steps:

Step 1:  The DAAD scholarship programmes are open for all countries of origin and for all study fields. You may choose your home country and study field in the scholarship database to see which scholarship programmes are offered for you. You will find the application deadline and all information on the documents you have to submit.

Step 2: Download the application form from and fill out the form with appropriate details.

Step 3: Submit the form at the DAAD regional office or at the Germany Embassy. You can check in the country information at www.daad.de/stipendien

Step 4: After the successful submission of the application form, an independent selection committee will examine your application. If all the parameters are met, you’ll be granted a scholarship.

Things covered by German Scholarships

Most DAAD scholarships finance the complete stay in Germany that means a monthly scholarship, i.e. often 750 Euro per month, health insurance, public liability insurance and accident insurance as well as travel costs. Depending on how good your German is, the DAAD may also compensate for a preparatory language course.

Application Dates and Deadlines

The deadline for applying depends on the individual scholarship programme. In some cases you can apply without yet having your admission to the German university. While in other cases the admission is one of the prerequisites.

Students can receive scholarships from following organizations:

Political Foundations: Following political foundations provide scholarship to German and International students:
  • Friedrich Ebert Stiftung: The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung provides financial assistance to German and international students in all fields of study. Selected international students receive an annual lump sum to cover fees associated with university enrollment and health insurance along with the monthly stipend and money for books.

  • Friedrich Naumann Stiftung: This foundation finance students who have liberal sense of societal obligation and possess a broad mindset. Women, University of Applied Sciences students, and students of natural sciences and engineering are provided with financial help.

  • Konrad Adenauer Stiftung: The Konrad Adenauer Foundation offers financial aid to students identifying with Christian-Democratic values.

  • Heinrich Boll Stiftung: This Foundation offers financial assistance to students, as well as an extended support program which includes several seminars. Approximately 70% of the students receiving assistance from the Heinrich Boll Foundation are women.

  • Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (Stiftung): The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation grants scholarships to PhD-students from Germany and Overseas. Scholarships are awarded to undergraduate and graduate students who possess a consistent and far-reaching social and political allegiance. Preference is given to socially and physically disadvantaged applicants who demonstrate comparable achievements and qualifications, and the advancement of women is the foundation’s highest priority.
Religious institutions: Following religious institutions provide scholarship to German and International students:
  • Cusanuswerk and KAAD (Katholischer Akademischer Auslander-Dienst): These organizations provide fiscal aid to highly qualified international students professing the Roman Catholic faith. The Cusanus-Werk's assistance program is mostly confined to German and EU students. While the Catholic Academic Exchange Service (KAAD) assists students from other countries who are actively associated with the Catholic Church.

  • Evangelischen Studienwerk Villigst and Evangelischen StudentInnengemeinde (ESG): The European Scholarship program of the Evangelisches (Protestant) Studienwerk Villigst funds academically-qualified students of the Protestant faith from EU countries, while the Evangelischen StudentInnengemeinde (ESG) provides scholarships to Protestant students from developing nations. Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst also offers scholarships for PhD students.
Other Foundations: Following are the additional foundations providing scholarship to German and International Students:
  • German Federal Foundation for the Environment (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt): It is an environmental foundation associated with the German federal government and provides 60 scholarships a year to doctoral and post-doctoral students from Germany and overseas working in the arena of environmental and scientific disciplines.

  • Otto Benecke Foundation: The Otto Benecke Foundation provides financial aid to ethnic-German immigrants from Eastern Europe, political refugees, and asylum seekers studying in Germany and under the age of thirty.

  • Promotionsforderung des Landes Berlin: The City of Berlin awards a number of scholarships to assist doctoral students. Applicants must present above-average merit and an academic goal which suggests that they will make an important contribution to scientific research.

  • The German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des Detuschen Volkes): This foundation is politically, religiously, and ideologically independent. It presents around 1,000 scholarships each year to highly-gifted students, including those in a doctoral program, and currently provides financial assistance to approximately 5,500 recipients.
For exclusive details see Education Funding
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