Your actual cost of living will vary depending on your lifestyle. In Passau, you can use the following guideline to estimate typical monthly expenses:
At the start of each semester, you will also have to pay the semester contribution, which includes a bus pass for city busses within Passau.
If you need a visa or a residence permit to stay in Germany, you will have to prove that you have access to at least 992 euros per month (as of August 2024). This financial requirement is tied to the maximum student grants and loans that German nationals may be able to access (BAföG). It is not adjusted for local variations in living costs, so you must have access to the same amount regardless of whether you study in a comparatively costly city such as Munich, or a comparatively affordable city such as Passau. Of course, in a city with lower living costs, it is up to you whether you spend the entire amount.
Since the passing of the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act 2022, universities in Bavaria can charge students from non-EU countries tuition fees if they wish. The University of Passau would like to clarify that we are not planning to introduce tuition fees at this time. If you are thinking about enrolling on a degree course in Passau, we would like to warmly invite you to apply!
International students faced with financial hardship and are thus unable to finance their cost of living and their studies, may apply for a one-off grant under the 'Promotion of Internationalisation' programme. You must have studied at the University of Passau for at least two full semesters before you can apply for this grant.
Despite its name, which translates as 'Germany scholarship', this scholarship is available to all students, regardless of citizenship. This scholarship, with a stipend of 300 euros per month, runs for one year and you may re-apply in subsequent years. For further details, visit the Deutschlandstipendium page.
A very small number of students are eligible for support under the German Federal Education Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, BAföG). Under certain conditions refugees, stateless persons and EU students with children can be awarded a BAföG grant. For details, contact:
Student Services Association (Studentenwerk)
Amt für Ausbildungsförderung
Innstr. 41
94032 Passau
Germany
Phone: +49 851 509 ext. 1904, 1905 or 1906
Graduates from German international and partner schools who are setting out on a degree programme in Bavaria may obtain scholarships from BayBIDS.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides scholarships to international students, and its scholarships database also lists many scholarships from third-party institutions.
Students coming to Passau on the basis of the ERASMUS programme receive scholarships through their own university. Please contact the programme co-ordinator or the International Office at your home university for further details.
The Bayerische Hochschulzentrum für Mittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropa (BAYHOST) always announces scholarships for various purposes. You can find more information on the BAYHOST website, for example a scholarship for graduates from Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Hungary.
