Study grants in Germany
Study at German public universities is almost free: you pay a semester fee that typically includes a transit pass. A scholarship here is therefore needed not for tuition but for living expenses — and that is exactly how nearly all German programmes are structured.
How education financing works here
Funding comes from three distinct sources, and it’s worth understanding all of them before you apply. The state — through the academic exchange service and through a program where business co-funds half the amount. Party and church foundations — with full scholarships of their own, and they accept international applicants more readily than most people assume. And universities themselves — with small internal grants that rarely get written about.
What to prepare in advance
Virtually every programme requires proof of language proficiency: for German-language courses — a university-level language exam; for English-language courses — an internationally recognised certificate. Foreign diploma or school certificate recognition is a separate matter: it is handled by a dedicated foreign credential evaluation body, and both universities and some scholarship funds ask for its assessment. Start at least a year before your application, not a month before.
Who benefits most here
For those who already hold a German residence permit. Study grants status and the right to work a limited number of days per year, and some government support programmes are designed specifically for those legally residing in the country.
Programmes
DAAD — scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service
monthly living stipend, health insurance, often a flight and language course
Deutschlandstipendium — a scholarship funded jointly by a university and a business
fixed monthly payment; half from the state, half from the university’s partner company
Heinrich Böll Foundation — full scholarship
monthly stipend and an educational program from the foundation
Konrad Adenauer Foundation — support for talented students
monthly stipend and seminar program
KWI International Fellowship — research fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities in Essen
stipend for the duration of the stay, a workspace, and access to the institute’s infrastructure
We do not publish exact application dates: they change every year, and this page is meant to last months. The card shows an intake window in plain language and a link to the official page, where the date is always current.
Other countries
Links to official pages have been verified 26 October 2026.