Financial Aid In Germany for International Students
If you have keyed in any of the search terms mentioned above, then you should have seen that you can study in Germany for free. For students who wish to study in Germany, we will look at some of the financial aid in Germany for international students, and how you could use these aids to study for free. As a student you know it is normal not to have the funds for your education especially if there is no one to sponsor your education. You have probably browsed about how to find scholarships abroad, how to study abroad for free, or which schools offer free education.
Types of Financial Aids In Germany
Free Universities and Education in Germany
Germany is one of the countries in the world that grants international students free education to study at any public school. You can read up on the top scholarships in the world that offer free scholarships for international students.
Many universities in Germany are free for all but that does not mean they are cheap or not good enough. Statistics have shown that so many universities such as the University of Cologne, Ludwig Maximilians, University Munich (LMU), Goethe University Frankfurt, RWTH Aachen University, University of Münster, Ruhr University Bochum, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universität Hamburg, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Technical University of Munich (TUM), University of Würzburgin, and so many others in Germany are among the best in the world.
So why are these schools offering free education to students?
Why are Schools in Germany Free?
The belief in Germany is that education should not be treated as a commodity or commercial product, which is why the government of Germany has provided free access to schools for international students. Back in the day, schools in Germany collected tuition of about 1.000 Euros from students every year. Though this money was nothing compared to the quality of education received, or the amount paid in other countries, students and parents protested that the tuition is abolished, and in the year 2014, students stopped paying, and tuition fees were abolished entirely.
Although tuition fees were abolished, students still have to buy books and take care of other academic expenses on their own. Abolishing paying tuition fees has attracted more international students over the years, and now Germany is among the top destination countries in the world to study.
The German Government knows the important contributions to the economic growth education brings to the country, thus they have made education free for all international and domestic students applying to study in a public school in Germany.
To correct a misconception, you can study in some universities in Germany for free, but not all schools are free for international students. Some schools in Germany especially private institutes charge tuition fees.
Scholarships in Germany
Another form of financial aid for international students is student scholarships and grants. While education is free in Germany, students also have to pay for accommodation, feeding, health insurance, and other. You can find all forms of scholarships in the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has an official scholarship database https://www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/.
Student Loans In Germany
Students always have the option of applying for a loan to pay for their studies. Students are provided by the Federal or State government, or private firms/organizations in Germany. There are also some universities in Germany that have created individual loan schemes for international students to help them fund their studies.
International students have free access to government and non-government-funded loans which have lower interest rates attached to them. However, the loans provided by the government have a set amount that students can borrow, unlike private loans which allow students to borrow as much money as they want. Find out more about student loans here.
Read Also: How to Find Financial Aid to Study in Belgium
Working Part-Time in Germany
Students can also work in Germany while they are studying. They can work part-time and during the holidays to save up enough money for their tuition and other expenses. However, students are only allowed to work 120 days a year, and they don’t have to have any prior experience to find a student job opportunity.
