Funding Opportunities

With the PROMOS scholarship, you can receive financial support for your stay abroad. Funding is available for, amongst other things, semesters abroad, work placements and specialist courses. Depending on your destination country, you can receive funding of up to €550 per month for a period of up to six months. Make sure you find out about the application deadlines and eligibility criteria well in advance.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides individual funding from the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.  Funding is provided both for the academic and personal development of international students at German universities, and for study and research stays abroad by high-achieving German students, postgraduates and early-career researchers. You can find country-specific scholarships in the DAAD scholarship database!

AUSLANDS-BAFÖG (FOREIGN STUDENT LOAN)

If you receive domestic BAföG (Inlands-BAföG), you will usually also receive BAföG for study abroad (Auslands-BAföG). However, even if you do not receive BAföG in Germany, you may still be eligible for BAföG for study abroad. As studying abroad usually involves higher costs, many students meet the eligibility criteria for funding.

Important: Submit your application as early as possible, as it must be submitted no later than six months before the start of your stay abroad.

An student loan (Bildungskredit) can be a good way to help fund your time abroad or an internship – regardless of whether you receive BAföG or not. This low-interest loan is aimed at students at an advanced stage of their studies and can be used alongside other forms of financial support. Find out about the eligibility criteria well in advance and submit your application in good time. Further information is available on the Federal Office of Administration’s website.

The Pedagogical Exchange Service (PAD) facilitates exchanges and encounters between people from different cultures in Europe and around the world. The programmes promote cooperation between educational institutions. In this way, the Pedagogical Exchange Service aims to strengthen intercultural competence, improve the quality of teaching and spark an interest in the German language and culture abroad.

Are you planning to study in the USA? If so, find out more about the Fulbright Scholarship. The programme supports students undertaking an academic stay at a US university. Postgraduates, PhD students and researchers can also apply for various funding programmes. Make sure you find out about the eligibility criteria and application deadlines well in advance.

GERMAN-FRENCH YOUTH ORGANISATION

The French-German Youth Organisation (DFJW) supports study-related work placements and research projects in France, with the aim of helping young people to develop their intercultural and language skills. These programmes are designed to strengthen exchanges between Germany and France and to foster a better understanding of each other’s cultures.

SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATIONS

Foundations offer numerous opportunities to receive financial support for your time abroad. Depending on the foundation, funding is available for study placements, work placements, research projects or dissertations undertaken abroad. Make sure you find out about the various programmes, as well as the relevant eligibility criteria and application deadlines, well in advance.

There are many other schemes that can provide financial support for your time abroad. These include, for example, the ASA programme run by Engagement Global, the McCloy and ERP scholarships for study periods at leading US universities, the Dr Jürgen and Irmgard Ulderup Overseas Scholarship, worldofstudents, College Contact, as well as numerous country- and subject-specific funding programmes. It’s well worth taking a look at the various options on offer – there are often more funding opportunities than you might initially think.