Learn about German universities where international students can study for free. Deutschlandstipendium, foundation scholarships, and other opportunities.
What is important to know about scholarships in Germany
There are three types of scholarships in Germany: from universities, from the government (Germany or the EU), and from all kinds of foundations and organizations.
The average size of scholarships in Germany is 791-1,130 USD/month. This amount roughly covers living expenses.
Scholarships are intended mainly for graduate and PhD students. Additionally, there may be restrictions by citizenship.
Requirements vary by program. Grades, German language skills, and extracurricular activities are almost always important.
The national scholarship — Deutschlandstipendium — can be received by everyone through competition, including foreigners and undergraduates. However, not all universities participate in this program.
Student loans or study loans, such as the BaFöG program, are only available to international students who have lived in Germany for at least 5 years.
Germany is one of the few countries that offer free tuition at public universities. This applies to both undergraduate and graduate students. An exemption is the federated state of Baden-Württemberg — there the academic year costs about 3,390 USD. In other regions, students pay only semester administrative fees. They range between 226-791 USD, depending on the university. The money goes to a student card, which gives benefits: free travel on public transport and city bikes, discounts in museums, swimming pools, cinemas, brand stores. In general, a month of living costs about 960 USD.
Expenses for accommodation and studying in Germany
City
Accommodation
Food
Transportation
Study materials
Mobile services and Internet
Personal expenses
Berlin
139-325 USD
93-214 USD
9-46 USD
9-23 USD
9-24 USD
279-836 USD
Hamburg
139-306 USD
93-185 USD
9-46 USD
9-18 USD
9-24 USD
232-790 USD
Munich
185-390 USD
139-242 USD
18-55 USD
9-18 USD
9-24 USD
325-929 USD
Cologne
185-372 USD
139-232 USD
18-55 USD
9-18 USD
9-24 USD
325-929 USD
In the majority of universities in Germany, students are provided with travel discounts up to 90-100%.
Free tuition is available at the undergraduate and graduate levels at public universities in Germany. Among Master's degree programs, however, there are also fee-paying ones. Usually, these are MBAs (they cost up to 56,499 USD), but there are other specialties, too. Private higher education institutions offer tuition only on a paid basis, on average 6,780-13,560 USD/year.
Free education in English in Germany
In public universities in Germany, there are programs taught in English, but there are not many of them. As a rule, these are programs in International Economics, Foreign Philology, International Relations, less often — Engineering and Natural Sciences. For example:
In English-language undergraduate programs, as a rule, there is a large competition among applicants. Most of the specialties are taught in German.
Requirements for admission
However, for high school graduates from countries where secondary education lasts 11 or 12 years (and they are the global majority), just a school certificate will not be enough. To enroll, you need to complete one or two study years at a university in your home country and get a written confirmation. Another option is to spend one year at a studienkolleg in Germany. Read more
To cover tuition fees and living expenses, international students can win a scholarship or a grant.
There are three main groups of scholarships in Germany:
University. German universities can reward students for good performance and achievements in various fields. Information about this should be checked on the websites of universities. These scholarships are usually small and not available at all universities. Moreover, foreigners are often not entitled to them. An exception is the national scholarship program “Deutschlandstipendium.”
Governmental — from the government of Germany or the EU. Usually, these are large grant programs like Erasmus. They are popular among foreigners, so there is very high competition.
Private. Foundations providing scholarships can be scientific, party-, or church-related. They have special requirements for candidates, and this confuses foreigners. In reality, foundations are often just looking for socially active youth.
Additionally, there are many more private scholarships from companies or organizations. Different opportunities are available to students depending on where they study.
Erasmus is a European program for student mobility. It includes many scholarships, mainly for master’s and doctoral students. There are two main options for the program:
Erasmus+. One or two semesters of exchange studies in a graduate program at a German university. Fellows receive about 904 USD/month. You can only go to those universities that have partnership agreements with your university. Details should be clarified with the international department of your university.
Erasmus Mundus. Full-fledged double degree Master's programs for a period of 1-2 years. Grants for this program are up to 11,300 USD/year. Students take turns studying at two universities, which organize joint study. A complete list of universities is available in the special catalog of the European Commission.
Erasmus scholarships, as a rule, cover all expenses for studying in another country: tuition fees, flights, meals, personal expenses. The deadline for submission of documents is October-February, depending on the program. Applications are to be directed to the universities, which run the corresponding programs. Details are also available on the Erasmus website.
The National Scholarship of Germany (DeutschlandStipendium) is designed for students of German universities with high academic achievements. This is one of the few scholarships in Germany where everyone can participate in the competition, from a Bachelor’s to a PhD student, including foreigners. The amount of the scholarship is 339 USD per month. Half is funded by the federal government and half — by private sponsors.
The universities carry out the selection independently. Often they only publish information in German, so foreign students learn about the possibilities too late. Not all universities participate in this program. A complete list is available on the Deutschlandstipendium website.
Deutschlandstipendium requirements
The list of sponsors, the number of scholarships, and their requirements vary by institution. For example, at the University of Bremen, about 100 people receive scholarships — the so-called "distinguished students."
First of all, high academic performance is important. And then everything can come in handy: victories in subject competitions, volunteer activities, work experience. Universities even take into account personal and family circumstances — up to the stories of overcoming specific life difficulties. All this must be confirmed by documents. These can be references, diplomas, certificates, recommendations, a resume, an autobiography. They often ask for a separate motivation letter.
All details need to be clarified on the websites of specific universities. Here are some examples:
Deadline varies from institution to institution, often in mid-October. Applications open in the summer, so you can apply as soon as you receive an invitation from a German university. Or on arrival in Germany, at the beginning of the semester.
Typically, the scholarship is awarded for two semesters, starting from winter. It can be renewed annually, but only if you are still eligible.
Sponsors are companies, foundations, organizations, university alumni or simply caring people — often professors of the university. Moreover, they themselves decide who they want to help with finances. For example, only aspiring philologists, or students with some specific experience — professional or volunteer. The universities publish the list of partners on their websites.
Sponsors also invite fellows to networking events, workshops, mentoring programs, and internships.
Foundation scholarships in Germany
Many international students think that scholarships from foundations and organizations abroad are extremely complicated to get, so they are not particularly interested in such an opportunity. But there are at least 13 special funds (Begabtenförderungswerke) in Germany, which in total award more than 33 thousand scholarships[1].
What you need to know about foundations in Germany:
Unfortunately, many scholarships are only for students from EU countries or permanent residents. Although there are exceptions.
For PhD scholarships, country restrictions are less common. Therefore, many more opportunities are open for future scientists.
The amount of the scholarships is 565-1,356 USD. Sometimes payments depend on the financial situation and other life circumstances of the candidates.
Carefully check the requirements on the website of the fund you are interested in. Conditions can vary widely, including language level and age.
Sometimes foundations announce recruitment for specific regions, for example, for Eastern Europe.
Bayer
Bayer Science & Education Foundation scholarships are designed for foreigners who wish to study or conduct research in Germany in one of the following fields:
Life sciences (Otto BayerScholarship);
Medicine (Carl Duisberg Scholarship);
Agricultural Sciences (Jeff Schell Scholarship);
Teaching in the field of biology and chemistry (Kurt Hansen Scholarship).
Students and alumni with high academic performance can participate in the competition. The most important criterion is an innovative international project. Another necessary prerequisite is a good level of English proficiency.
Required documents:
Letter of invitation from a German university confirming the planned project.
Description of the project for a period of 2-12 months with a budget estimate and schedule (may include study courses, laboratory work, research projects, summer classes, internships, Master's or doctoral program).
Transcript from the last place of study.
Documents confirming achievements to strengthen the application.
A personal photo.
The application deadline is around mid-July. Сheck details on the website of the foundation or the Bayer company.
Additionally, the foundation has programs for scientists and working professionals.
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Humboldt Research Fellowship. Young scientists from abroad can apply for it. The scholarship allows conducting long-term research (6-24 months) and covers all associated costs. Monthly payments are 3,017-3,582 USD. Academic publications are required to participate in the competition. Current requirements are listed here.
German Chancellor Fellowship. It is granted to alumni with a Bachelor's degree or higher. The main requirements are to be a citizen of one of the six participating countries (Russia, USA, China, Brazil, South Africa, or India) and to propose a promising research project. The fellows are given a year to implement their project in Germany. They choose the university themselves. The amount of the scholarship is 2,452-3,130 USD/month plus a two-week tour of the country, language courses, and additional financial assistance. Details on the selection are listed here.
A complete list of scholarship programs can be found on the foundation's website.
Professional assistance in applying to a foreign university
