Top Scholarships in Germany for Foreign Students

Germany is one of the top study destinations in the world, along with other English-speaking countries such as the UK, the US, Canada, Australia. This is because of many reasons such as its university-wide variety of specializations, top-notch universities, diverse population, and a fun and safe environment. Aside from those, Germany has one of the most affordable (even free) education in the world. However, it also has a high cost of living due to the country’s high quality of life. 

In those cases, foreign students look for other means to fund their stay, such as looking for scholarships in Germany. 

Although there are many scholarships in Germany. In this article, we will be discussing the top and most prominent ones. 

DAAD Scholarship Program

DAAD offers hundreds of financial assistance to foreign students who want to study in Germany at various degree levels. That assistance may be in the form of grants, research assistance, scholarships, exchange programs, scholarships, and so on. 

Due to the many scholarships that it offers, some may require language proficiency (German, English, and both) to get them, while some may not. Also, there is no age requirement. However, aside from their application, a letter of motivation is needed. Meanwhile, for those needing research grants, a proposal is needed.

The scholarship’s value and benefits also differ per academic institution, the student’s qualification, the type of assistance, and so on. For example, a short-term research grant for doctoral or postdoctoral researchers may cost around EUR 861 to EUR 1,200 a month, including payment for insurance cover. A scholarship of Excellence for graduate students, meanwhile, has a value of around EUR 850 to EUR 1,000 plus book allowance, research allowance, and tuition fees.

Deutschlandstipendium 

The Deutschlandstipendium provides financial assistance to outstanding students from different parts of the world to study in Germany’s state-recognized universities. Aside from academic excellence, other criteria for selecting students include someone with strong social commitment and other personal achievements. 

The money international students can get is around EUR 300 a month. 

Moreover, Deutschlandstipendium may support the student for two-semester, to their whole study program in the country. Also, aside from financial assistance, students may get other non-monetary support such as mentoring programs, internship opportunities, and the chance to join networking events. 

Heinrich Boll Scholarships 

The Heinrich Boll Foundation grants thousands of awards to foreign students of various degree levels studying different fields in Germany’s different universities. Aside from academic excellence, applicants of this scholarship are also expected to be both socially and politically engaged, in various advocacies, such as ecology, democracy, human rights, sustainability, justice, self-determination, and so on. 

This scholarship also requires students to have written proof of their proficiency in the German language. 

Successful applicants may get around EUR 649 to EUR 1,350 per month. Although the amount differs between EU and non-EU students, with EU students getting more. Aside from that, successful applicants will also get individual allowances, tuition fees, book money, research money (if applicable), and so on. 

Aside from scholarships in Germany, there are various ways to fund or supplement one’s study and living expenses in Germany, such as saving enough money, getting someone to sponsor your studies, and working part-time while studying. 

To learn more about Germany, and other information about living and studying there, check out MSM Unify’s article on topics about Germany.