How to find scholarships as an International Student in Germany

Scholarships are one of the most popular ways international students can finance themselves either for their fees or for their stay abroad. There are several scholarships offered by private organizations and state governments for international students to sustain themselves. The easiest way to find scholarships is through the DAAD Scholarship finder.

Following are some of the popular scholarships available to international students.

DAAD – Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst

Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst is a joint organization of Germany’s higher education institutions, responsible for promoting international academic relations. They focus on the exchange of students, academics, researchers and offer scholarships to foreign students, graduate and doctoral students, and scientists in Germany.

The DAAD scholarships are awarded to students who want to get a qualification in a full-time course of study. 

Prerequisites

• Completed Bachelor’s degree (not more than 6 years old)

• 2 years of Professional Work Experience in their respective fields.

Stipend 

• Postgraduates -> 850€/month

• Doctoral students -> 1,200€/month

Heinrich Böll Stiftung

The Heinrich Böll Stiftung awards around 1,200 scholarships a year to students across all levels (undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral) belonging to various countries.

Pre-requisites

• Enrolled at state recognized universities in Germany
• Excellent Academic Records
• Politically and socially active with a special interest in sustainability, ecology, human rights, justice.
• German language skills – B2 level

 Stipends 

• Stipends are awarded for the period of study with an extension of 1 semester (for postgraduate students)

• 2 years with extension for 2 semesters (for doctoral students)

  Students from EU

• Postgraduate students – 949€/month

• Doctoral students – 1350€/month + 100€/month (mobility costs)

 Students from non-EU countries

•  Postgraduate students – 850€/month + individual allowances

• Doctoral students – 1200€/month + 100€/month (mobility costs)

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

This scholarship program aims to promote foreign students and doctoral candidates who have completed their undergraduate studies in their home country.

This scholarship is available for students wanting to complete a postgraduate, doctorate, or research program.

Priority is given to students of Ph.D. candidates from developing countries or countries that are going through a political transformation.

Pre-requisites

• Recognized Completed Bachelor’s degree
• Above average academic achievements
• German language skills – B2

Stipend

• Postgraduate Students – 850€/month for two years

• Doctoral Students – 1100€/month for three years

• Tuition fee reimburses – 500€/semester

Intercultural dialogues and international networks get promoted to develop the relations between the home countries and the Federal Republic of Germany.

Friedrich Naumann Stiftung

The Friedrich Naumann Stiftung is devoted to the promotion of liberal principles and to political education in Germany .It is politically affiliated to the Free Democratic Party. They are active in more than sixty countries around the globe and span over several continents . The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom supports local, regional, and national initiatives that advance the rights of minorities, the democratic control of security forces, and the strengthening of international human rights coalitions. Foreign study grants are used to support qualified students in full-time studies at German universities. Foreign students can apply for funding for study programs or for the main study stage of state examinations. The minimum sponsorship period for funding is two semesters. Extensions up to the completion of studies can be granted on an application basis.

Pre-requisites

• Recognized Completed Bachelor’s degree
• Above average academic achievements
• German language skills – B2
• Social commitment and Liberal engagement.

Stipend

• 850€/month for two semesters

Deutschlandstipendium

The Deutschlandstipendium offers financial support to academically outstanding students from all nationalities. It supports students at all participating universities in Germany without taking into consideration nationality, personal or parent income. The scholarship is made possible through a public-private collaboration where businesses, foundations 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.

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 if the student still meets the scholarship criteria, for private funding to proceed. 

Being a science student with no interest in politics and no experience of learning German before arriving, I chose DeutschlandStipendium over the others. But the choice varies from person to person, with good scores and good command over German language, a student has a higher chance of securing their chosen scholarship.

In conclusion, good German language skills and good academic grades are a must to apply to any scholarship. Some scholarships require the students to have specific political leanings. Hence, the choice of scholarship is completely dependent on the particular student.

Written by,

Chirag N Vijay

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