Stage 4 of 8 · 7 lessons · ~4 weeks
Funding and scholarships
Work out how the degree will be paid for: fully funded scholarships, assistantships, university awards, low tuition options, family money and loans. Apply for the funding that fits your profile and destination, on its own timeline, and avoid the traps.
Start: The kinds of fundingLessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order
Do this
- List every funding source that could apply to you: scholarships, assistantships, university awards, family and loans.
- Check each scholarship's eligibility on its official page, rule by rule.
- Add every funding deadline to your tracker, including nominating agency deadlines.
- Ask each target department what funding it offers and when it decides.
- Search university scholarship pages for each programme on your shortlist.
- If you need a loan, compare interest, collateral and repayment on a salary at home.
- Write a backup plan for the case where the main scholarship does not come through.
Start with
- GuideFreeStudy and Research in Germany (DAAD)
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
Tuition, living costs and financing in Germany, explained officially
Keep handy
Also worth your time
- MastersportalGo deeper
Filter programmes by tuition and find scholarship listings to confirm on the funder's page
Before moving on: A funding plan that covers your total cost from named sources, with each scholarship's eligibility checked on its official page, its deadline in your tracker, and a backup if the main source does not come through.
Low tuition is Europe's big advantage, but living costs and the proof of funds are real. Start with the DAAD database and the Erasmus Mundus catalogue, apply to the programmes you clearly qualify for, and plan to cover a year of living costs even if you win nothing.