Many of us dream of living in a grand mansion, enjoying a substantial income, and traveling the world. The opportunities to achieve this dream abound, yet we may not be aware of most of them.
One such opportunity is to study in Germany. It is a dream for many to study with multilingual students in a foreign nation. But the thought of the amount of money that is required to study and live there often leaves us hanging.
Is there a way out? Yes, Scholarships offer a remarkable chance to study there either for free or at a significantly reduced cost, without compromising the quality of education. When it comes to Germany, it is popular among the students for the “Free education” that it offers. Let’s look at why education is free in Germany and how Indian students can apply for the available scholarships.
In many places around Europe and the world, international students are usually required to pay fees when enrolling at universities. But in Germany, it’s a different story. They believe education shouldn’t be about making money.
They believe that everyone should be able to learn without worrying about costs, regardless of their origin in Asia, Africa, or anywhere else. In the past, Germany tried charging a small amount for university, but people didn’t like it. They protested until the fees were scrapped in 2014. Nowadays, most public universities don’t charge any tuition fees at all.
Germany also wants to attract smart people from all over the world. They figure if they can get clever students to come and study, they might stick around to work and help the country grow. That’s why they don’t charge foreign students’ tuition fees, to encourage them to come and learn in Germany.
Germany is a nation of numerous job opportunities. Studying in Germany is a gateway to a secure future. This can be seen in the data given below.
- Do thorough research on the type of scholarship available and what suits the education degree you wish to do.
- Properly understand the eligibility criteria. You must know that for the scholarship you are applying for, what exams need to be given, the age limit, the percentage of marks needed, etc.
- Collect all the documents like your previous education details, your details, address and nationality proof, etc.
- Fill out each field of the scholarship application form, and recheck to avoid any spelling mistakes or typos.
- To be enrolled in a German university, you must have fluency in English as well as German. There are different fluency levels. Scholarship-giving organizations have varying expectations regarding your level of fluency. Submit language test scores like TOEFL and IELTS if required.
- Obtain LOR (Letter of Recommendation) and SOP (Statement of Purpose). These are a must for almost every organization that you apply to for your scholarship.
- Get ready for interviews or online assessments. Check out the updated syllabus and go through each one of the subject sections properly.
- Make sure to keep track of your application status. Keep a check on all the information shared with you about the processing of the application.
At public-funded universities in Germany, there is no tuition fee or little to zero; however, some courses have fees. Funding scholarships in Germany provide financial support for tuition fees as well as living costs. An adequate plan and finding the right scholarship a candidate is qualified for are vital. A few points that you need to consider while applying for a scholarship are mentioned below:
- Your scholarship application should be submitted directly to the organization awarding you a grant. Exceptions are provided for the Deutschland stipendium or Erasmus funding scheme, respectively. One should therefore be ready to take on the application demands for different German universities, courses, and awards.
- It is essential for aspirants to submit their applications directly before the deadlines.
- Complete application forms for a scholarship by stating your application, explaining why you deserve it, and how you would benefit the institution and local community.
- Consider organizations with online application features when looking into programs like DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst).
- Besides the eligibility standards of several scholarships, ensure that you investigate study grants as well.
- Many German states such as Bavaria have public scholarships. The other schemes, for example, Erasmus, also provide EU funding.
- Government scholarships
- DAAD Scholarship - Students with excellent academic performance can apply for the prestigious DAAD Scholarship. They give an amount of 850 Euros to 1200 Euros as a scholarship fee.
- Deutschland stipendium - Students from both Germany and around the world are eligible to apply for this opportunity. They give a sufficient amount of 300 Euros.
- Non-government scholarships or private scholarships offer a much higher amount.
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation scholarships - This scholarship requires applicants to have a commendable academic record from their previous educational experiences. They offer a decent amount of 12000 Euros and extra money as allowance for your stay, food, etc.
- The Konrad –Adenauer – Stiftung scholarship is only for students doing a Master's in some subject or doing a PhD. They must be under the age of 30. They also must be good academic students. They provide a decent amount of 800 Euros to 1200 Euros.
- Heinrich Boll Foundation Scholarship - This scholarship is also exclusively for Master's or PhD graduates. They offer scholarship money to the students in the range of 10000 to 12000 Euros and also some extra allowance.
- The Bayer Foundation Awards - Recognize students with outstanding academic achievements. It gives an amount of 30000 Euros.
Bachelor’s Scholarships
- Cusanuswerk- Academically strong students proficient in German at the C1 level. The scholarship amount provided is 861 Euros.
- Deutsche Universitätsstiftung- Enrolled students must show their enrollment certificate. Their German fluency must at least be of level C1. They give an amount of 3600 Euros.
- Evangelisches Studienwerk- UG students from any country can apply for this scholarship. They give a monthly amount of 812 Euros per month.
Masters scholarships- Along with providing financial assistance for studies, they also give allowance for staying in Germany.
- Baden-Württemberg Stiftung- They give monthly scholarships of 600 Euros to 1400 Euros. The students can be undergraduate students or even someone doing a PhD.
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship- They let you pay a discounted amount of the tuition fees. Only Masters students are eligible.
- DAAD Scholarship - High-achieving students with excellent academic performance and high marks are eligible to apply for the prestigious DAAD Scholarship. They give an amount of 850 Euros to 1200 Euros as a scholarship fee.
MBA Scholarships- Along with providing financial assistance for studies, they also give allowance for staying in Germany.
- DAAD Scholarship - Students with high academic performance can apply for the DAAD Scholarship. They give an amount of 850 Euros to 1200 Euros as a scholarship fee.
- Erasmus Mundus joint master’s program - They only apply to students with citizenship in EEA or non-EEA countries.
“Obtaining German scholarships may seem straightforward.” But, you need to have a good preparation strategy. You should know and fulfill all your eligibility criteria. There are many applicants, so the competition is high.
However, studying in Germany opens doors to research fields and many secure and professional jobs. Some of them also cover your food and rent bills. Helping to lighten your financial load. Fluency in German is required at least up to C1 level. You also need to prove it through exams or interviews.
Now, even if you don’t achieve a 100% scholarship, there is just some percentage of tuition fee waiver. You can compensate by being a part of the part-time job environment which is done by almost every student there.
Thus, studying in Germany also gives you theoretical as well as practical knowledge. A multicultural environment helps you explore the unknown parts of the world and the life there.
Q1. Is free education accessible in Germany for Indian students?
Ans – Although education in Germany is relatively cheaper than in some other countries, it doesn’t mean that Indian students can study there for free. Nevertheless, there are scholarships and tuition waivers as well as part-time jobs students can work to ease the costs.
Q2. What percentage is needed for German scholarship?
Ans – Various universities and colleges in Germany offer scholarships with specific percentage requirements that vary from institution to institution. A good academic performance of approximately 70-80% and above is typically necessary.
Q3. Is the award of scholarships in Germany hard?
Ans – There is stiff competition in the awarding of a scholarship for Germany as there are many applicants. But with good grades, proper experience, and adequate preparation for application, it’s possible to make things work in your favor.