Tuition Free Universities in Germany, Scholarships & How to Apply

Germany is one of the developed countries in the world with a lot of foreign students looking for international education. German Universities offers internationally recognized degree programs at a cheaper cost compared to other top study destinations like UK, USA or Australia. The country boasts of a very stable economy and is one of the most suitable countries to live in terms of high standard of living.

The German government has invested a lot in the educational sector making it one of the best in the world. Most universities in Germany offer tuition-free programs especially for undergraduate programs and those that do not require tuition fees are very low and affordable.

SEE ALSO: Things to Know About Studying in Canada.

COST OF LIVING IN GERMANY

The cost of living in Germany is relatively moderate compared with other European countries. Although this depends on the city you are studying. Big commercial cities like Munich are much more expensive than smaller cities. The estimated cost of accommodation is between 600 to 800 Euros.

Below is a breakdown of expenses per month:

Rent and Utilities – €323
Food and Drink – €168
Clothes and Learning Material – €62
Transportation – €94
Health Insurance/ Medical bills – €80
Telephone and Internet – €31
Recreation and Sport – €61

Source of the price list above was from this link

LIST OF TUITION FREE UNIVERSITIES IN GERMANY

Below is the list of universities that offers free tuition fee in Germany. However, you are solely responsible for fending for yourself unless you are placed on scholarship. Also, note that in some cases the universities might require that you make a little donation to the institution.

Below is the list of tuition fee free universities in Germany:

• Free University of Berlin
• Frankfurt University
• Friedrich Schiller University, Jena
• Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen-Nurnberg.
• Hamburg Media School
• Humboldt-University, Berlin
• International School of Management ISM, Dortmund
• International University, Bremen
• International University in Germany
• Johannes Gutenberg University
• Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich
• Medical University of Luebeck
• Otto-Fredrick University, Bamberg
• Philips-University, Marburg
• University of Augsburg
• University of Bamberg
• University of Bayreuth
• University of Bielefeld
• University of Bonn
• University of Bremen
• University of Dortmund
• University of Erfurt
• University of Erlangen-Nurnberg
• University of Essen
• University of Flensburg
• University of Gottingen
• University of Hamburg
• University of Hannover
• University of Kassel
• University of Koln
• University of Konstanz
• University of Leipzig
• University of Rostock
• University of Stuttgart
• University of Marburg
• University of Oldenburg

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SCHOLARSHIPS IN GERMANY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

There are some scholarships in Germany that allow international students to study for free. It is worthy of note that unlike undergraduate studies, most Master’s or PhD studies in Germany are fee-based. Fortunately, there are some scholarships for Masters and PhD study in Germany.

DAAD Scholarship Programs 

DAAD is a joint organisation of Germany’s higher education institutions and is responsible for promoting international academic relations, primarily through the exchange of students, academics and researchers.  The DAAD scholarship database contains scholarship and funding opportunities for foreign students, graduate students and scientists who are seeking financial support for their studies, research work or teaching assignments in Germany. The database not only lists all the scholarships offered by the DAAD, but also diverse programmes offered by a wide variety of institutions.

DeutschlandStipendium National Scholarship Programme 

The Deutschlandstipendium (Germany Scholarship Program)  provides financial and non-material support to high-achieving and committed students from all over the world. The Germany Scholarship supports highly talented students at all participating universities in Germany. The scholarship is awarded without consideration of personal or parent income and one’s nationality is not material to award either.   The scholarship amounts to 300 EUR per month and is granted for at least two semesters but may be provided for a maximum time which covers the standard period of study.

CLICK HERE to find out which institutions of higher education in Germany offer the Germany Scholarship.

Germany Foundations’ Scholarship Programs

A number of political and religious foundations in Germany offers scholarships to international students from various backgrounds, interests, and qualifications.  studentwerk-berlin.de outlines them in this list.

Erasmus Scholarship Programs in Germany 

German Universities participate in quite a number of study programs which are funded by Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus+ scholarships.  The scholarships can finance international students to pursue a participating study program in Germany.

Find the complete list of Erasmus Mundus Master Courses and PhD Courses. In these lists, you will find Erasmus funded courses that are conducted in Germany.

HOW TO APPLY FOR ADMISSION IN GERMANY 

If you want to apply for admission into these free tuition Universities in Germany, We recommend you use DAAD search portal. With DAAD, you can search for any undergraduate or postgraduate (Masters or PhD) courses in these Universities. CLICK HERE to start your search.

On the left side of the page, you can filter your search result by entering a keyword like “Medicine”,  “Engineering” or any filed you are interested in so that the search returns only medical or engineering-related courses.

Whatever the keyword you choose, you can further filter (under Degree/level) by choosing whether you are searching for a Bachelor, Master, PhD / Doctorate, Prep Course, Language Course or a Short Course. If you chose entered Engineering above and choose Master here, you will see Master’s courses in Engineering.

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You can broadly choose the field of study by choosing one of the options under “Field of Study”. There are many options available but the most important here is the last one “More”. There you have “Tuition fee”, choose “none” so that you only courses in schools where tuition fees are not paid.

When you click on a particular course, you will see all the details there; course overview, admission requirements, language requirements, course curriculum and how to apply. Some require that you apply directly to the school while other ask you to apply through Uni-Assist.

The course page link is always included, click on it to read more details, especially the documents you need to submit. Since requirements and procedure vary slightly for every institution, read more details on the website of the institution you want to apply to.

HOW TO SECURE VISA TO STUDY IN GERMANY

Once you have secured your admission, you start applying for Germany study visa at least three months from the start date of your program. Even though you are admitted into a tuition-free university, the German authorities expect you to show proof that you can take care of your financial expenses.

For more information about Germany student visa, visit our Germany student visa guide page.