Scholarships are usually awarded on the basis of academic performance; the applicant's financial situation only plays a minor role in the decision. For this reason scholarships (particularly scholarships which are granted by the University of Passau) are not awarded before the start of the period of study.
If you wish to apply for a scholarship before coming to Germany, please contact the German Embassy or German Consulate in your home country well in advance.
International students faced with financial hardship and are thus unable to finance their cost of living and their studies, may apply for a one-off grant under the 'Promotion of Internationalisation' programme. You must have studied at the University of Passau for at least two full semesters before you can apply for this grant.
Despite its name, which translates as 'Germany scholarship', this scholarship is available to all students, regardless of citizenship. This scholarship, with a stipend of 300 euros per month, runs for one year and you may re-apply in subsequent years. For further details, visit the Deutschlandstipendium page.
A very small number of students are eligible for support under the German Federal Education Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, BAföG). Under certain conditions refugees, stateless persons and EU students with children can be awarded a BAföG grant. For details, contact:
Student Services Association (Studentenwerk)
Amt für Ausbildungsförderung
Innstr. 41
94032 Passau
Germany
Phone: +49 851 509 ext. 1904, 1905 or 1906
Graduates from German international and partner schools who are setting out on a degree programme in Bavaria may obtain scholarships from BayBIDS.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides scholarships to international students, and its scholarships database also lists many scholarships from third-party institutions.
Students coming to Passau on the basis of the ERASMUS programme receive scholarships through their own university. Please contact the programme co-ordinator or the International Office at your home university for further details.
The Protestant Student Community (Evangelische Studierendengemeinde; ESG) has compiled a scholarship guide (in German) for students with undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral qualifications from Eastern European countries.
In addition, the Bayerische Hochschulzentrum für Mittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropa (BAYHOST) always announces scholarships for various purposes. You can find more information on the BAYHOST website. Currently (as of 28.07.2023), for example a scholarship for graduates from Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Hungary.
Global Scholarships’ mission is to make scholarships accessible and transparent, and they would like to take one step closer to their mission by offering an external scholarship for a prospective international student.
This is their debut year (2024) for this scholarship, so there are no previous winners, but they hope to increase the amount and/or the number of scholarships awarded in the next several years.
You can find more information on the website of Global Scholarships.
The most comprehensive overview of scholarship opportunities in Germany is provided by the comparison portal myStipendium.de with over 30 different filter criteria. Here you will find over 2,100 different educational support programmes worth 610 million euros annually, which are also aimed at school pupils, socially committed individuals, members of minorities and many other groups.
Using a questionnaire, you can find out quickly and free of charge which scholarships match your personal abilities and expectations. Based on the data obtained, you will receive an overview of suitable scholarship offers and the required application documents.
Further information can be found on the myStipendium website.
