Funding a Year Abroad in A German University
In English-speaking countries (including the the US, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and more developed countries in Europe, tuition fees are difficult to meet! For this reason Germany has is a great choice for students who want to study abroad, while staying free of debt in the years to come. From October 2014 Germany offers free education for its residents as well as international candidates. No matter how low the fees may have been; now they are now gone and this makes the cost of studying in Germany very reasonable. 6 of the top hundred Universities in the world are German, land a lot of Nobel laureates are alumni.
In 2005 German universities required students to pay registration as well as tuition fees, although only in 4 Federal states out of the 16. Tuition in one semester used to be about €500 in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hamburg and Lower Saxony, but in others for undergraduate studies you only had to pay a symbolic €50 to register. Recent changes and the abolishment of student fees mean that Germany attracts a huge number of international students who want to to get an education or further their studies in MA or PhD programs, at established and internationally recognized Universities. However tuition is only free for undergraduate students regardless of their origin; postgraduate studies still are still charged tuition fees depending on the federation.
Although Germany has an outstandingly education system, the cost-of-living there can be pretty high by international students; and with little financial support, it’s advisable to apply for a scholarship before leaving your home country, to help with different expenses such as accommodation, study materials and insurance to name a few,. In city areas like Munich or Berlin, living expenses can be up to €1000 per month.
Postgraduate studies are not free like undergraduate ones, so you have to pay for admission and confirmation fees. Students who stay more than the designated number of terms must pay €500 per semester, thus a scholarship will help you greatly to finance your studies and life in Germany.
Who awards Scholarships?
There are many institutions that help students, but the main one that mediates between international students and financial aid is the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst) or DAAD . Since German Universities don’t give grants to students, you can apply through the DAAD, which provides scholarships to international students in cooperation with partner institutions.
You will see to get two different types of scholarships: monetary and non-monetary. In short, if you get a full scholarship you will be awarded a fixed amount which will cover you financially for the whole duration of your studies.
A partial scholarship means you need to look for another means to fund yourself, (such as organizations that sponsor students). Especially advanced students and graduates are encouraged to apply.
Non-monetary scholarships are free invites to lectures, workshops, and conferences where the aim is to establish connection between students and Universities. This is a great chance to create long-lasting relationships with Institutions beyond the scholarship period.
The DAAD scholarship database is located here and should be your first port of call:
https://www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/12359-finding-scholarships/
