Here we would like to present some financing options and give you some tips on what to consider when planning the finances for your stay abroad.
Many scholarship programmes involve lengthy application processes, which is why it is important to find out about the expected costs at an early stage and consider how you might finance your stay.
Detailed and binding information on which documents you have to enclose with a DAAD application can be found in the respective scholarship announcements of the DAAD. At this point, however, we would like to clarify a few questions about the application documents, which we receive again and again.
In the case of DAAD scholarships, grades are an important decision criterion.
The DAAD Study Plan should describe as precisely as possible the intended goal of the stay abroad, take into account the courses at the host university and, if possible, be agreed with a university teacher of the German higher education institution responsible for the subject. Important: research well!
In most cases you will need an expert opinion. The exact number is stated in the respective scholarship announcement and/or in the application requirements of the foreign higher education institution.
Ask a university teacher who is able to assess your academic achievements precisely whether she will write you an expert opinion. Generally, this should be a professor, but exceptions are also made. For applicants who have not yet passed the preliminary examination or the preliminary diploma, the DAAD accepts expert opinions from academic staff or assistants who have been countersigned by the responsible university teacher. Under no circumstances will expert reports by language lecturers be accepted.
You can only read the review yourself if the reviewer tells you to read it. In any case, the review must be enclosed with the application in a sealed envelope, which must not be opened by you! Open expert opinions are considered worthless especially in Anglo-Saxon countries, since it is assumed that they are not written honestly enough as a courtesy.
In an emergency, you can also use an older expert opinion if it is still of a more recent date (in no case older than two semesters!) and the content is tailored to your application project. However, it always makes a better impression to enclose more recent reports.
Go to the DAAD Scholarship Database
Under certain conditions, the state funds stays abroad with student loans and grants for studies abroad (Auslands-BAföG).
If your or your parents’ financial situation justifies it, you may also be able to receive this support if you do not receive any domestic student loans and grants (BAföG), as the BAföG offices assume that you will need more money during your studies abroad. This is particularly the case if you have to pay higher tuition fees abroad.
Foreign student loans and grants can be applied for once during your studies for a minimum of 3 months (within the framework of university collaborations) and a maximum of 12 months.
You can obtain the application documents from the AuslandsBAföG Office responsible for your target country.
Just like domestic student loans and grants (BAföG), the amount of the international student loans and grants depends on your income, but also on the amount of the tuition fees to be expected at your host university, the cost of living to be expected in the target country and the travel expenses to the target university. As a general rule, if you are staying in a non-European country, you will have to pay an international surcharge in addition to the domestic BAföG rate. You can find out the exact amount of this surcharge from the responsible international BAföG office.
Full scholarships and Auslands-BAföG are usually mutually exclusive. In the case of partial scholarships (for instance DAAD one-year scholarship), the scholarship instalments are usually reduced by the Auslands-BaföG international supplement. The ERASMUS mobility allowance is exempt from imputation.
If the office requests Form 5 from you (performance certificate according to § 48 BAföG), you can have it signed by your programme coordinator.
Students can receive a full DAAD scholarship (up to their first degree qualifying them for a profession).<br/><br/>In contrast to partial scholarship recipients, these scholarship holders also receive credit for the BAföG domestic portion if they apply for AuslandsBAföG (international student loans and grants). Thus, in some cases, scholarship holders who receive a high BAföG rate would be left with only a very small monthly grant.<br/><br/>In order to prevent BAföG recipients from being disadvantaged, the DAAD points out to BAföG recipients the option of foregoing BAföG benefits during the scholarship period so that they can take advantage of the full DAAD scholarship.
Student loans and grants (BAföG)
Student Services Associations
German Academic Exchange Service
For individual regions with which Bavaria traditionally maintains close contact and cooperation, the Bavarian University Centres support individual activities in the fields of science, teaching and research. These are the university centres:
Bavarian University Centre for China
Bavarian-Indian Centre
Bavarian University Centre for Latin America
Bavarian-French Centre
Bavarian University Centre for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe
Bavarian American House
An overview of the profiles of the various Bavarian Academic Centres can also be found in the brochure of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts.
The Fulbright Commission is a renowned scholarship provider that promotes academic exchange between the United States and more than 180 countries worldwide. The German-American Fulbright Programme was founded in 1952 and has financially supported the study visits of more than 45,000 Germans and Americans to date. Partial and full scholarships as well as travel scholarships are awarded.
The scholarship is aimed at students and graduates of all disciplines who wish to study in the USA. German citizenship is a prerequisite for an application for German-American cultural exchange.
The following scholarships are offered every year:
Further information on the scholarships can be found on the Fulbright-Germany website.
Fulbright academic adviser Professor Solomon
Professor Dennis Solomon Professor. Dennis Solomon is the academic adviser for the Fulbright Programme at the University of Passau. He is the contact person for German students who are interested in the scholarship as well as for American scholarship holders who come to the University of Passau and offers additional local support.
Contact:
Professor Dennis Solomon, LL.M. (Berkeley)
Room JUR 217
Telephone: +49 851 509 2320
E-mail: dennis.solomon@uni-passau.de
The most comprehensive overview of scholarship opportunities in Germany is provided by the comparison portal myStipendium.de, which offers over 30 different filter criteria. Here you will find more than 3,200 different educational funding programs worth €610 million annually, aimed not only at students but also at socially engaged individuals, members of minorities, and many other groups.
By completing a questionnaire, you can quickly and free of charge find out which scholarships match your personal skills and goals. Based on the information provided, you will receive an overview of suitable scholarship opportunities and the required application documents.
For more information, please visit http://www.mystipendium.de/.
| Country/Region | Organisation | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Government | Study |
| Australia or New Zealand | Ranke-Heidemann-Förderzentrum | Discount on tuition fees |
| France | Campus France | Housing allowance |
| The United Kingdom | Study Study | |
| Central and Eastern Europe | GFPS (Community for student exchanges in Central and Eastern Europe) | Study
Study
|
| Worldwide | Study Study Studies for FIM Students, Master’s Degree | |
| Europe | European Funding Guide | A large information platform for scholarships |
Worldwide:
College Contact
USA:
study in the USA
GOstralia!-GOmerica!
Australia and New Zealand:
GOstralia!-GOmerica!
Institut Ranke-Heinemann
OZ studies
The Ranke Heinemann Institute arranges university places and supports students who pay international tuition fees in Australia and New Zealand. The support amounts to 10 per cent of the tuition fees for one semester, applies to all universities and is also available to BAföG recipients and DAAD scholarship holders.
