Financing your Masters in Germany

For many students, tuition fees and other costs for higher education cause a major headache, usually relieved only with the aid of cautious financing. However, for a number of European countries, this complicated case is nothing but a myth – like for Germany! But the real question is, is it really that easy to go for a low or no cost Masters study at a German university? Time to find out!

Not too long ago, Germany introduced mind-blowing changes to the national higher education system, with the most notable one being the removal of tuition fees at public universities. Instead, the country announced that there would only be a semester contribution which ended up averaging around €200. Furthermore, this payment even covers a free public transport ticket at several German institutions – how cool is that?

So far so good! For students interested in a Masters in Germany, however, there are a few small but important details. And bad news – one of those is purely decided by your Bachelor. In order to be eligible for some free Masters courses, you have to present a Bachelor in the same field acquired at your previous university. So, what now?

No big deal, as there are more solutions than problems. One of them would be accepting your fate of paying tuition fees – in the area of €500 per semester for general disciplines and up to €1000 for some specialized studies. Or to put it simply, the option of sticking to affordable tuition costs much less than in other leading European study destinations. Then there is plan B . . .

It is hard to believe that there can be so many financing opportunities for a country where higher education is mostly free – but there you have it! For example, the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) offering academic exchange services in Germany, can present you with more than 130 scholarships! Alternatively, you can rely on government financial support exclusively provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. You can get financing as much as €300 per month, but you would have to present an academic study achievement or at least good grades. 

Hold on students, we are not done here! There is also the StipendiumPlus scholarship that can give you a chance to express your skills and talent while receiving a good amount of student financing. Oh, and how can we miss out on Erasmus+ for students? The EU-funded programme can basically grant you a free study ticket for a semester or year in Germany! All of these sum up the unique student possibilities you can take advantage of regardless of your nationality and sometimes even university – state or private. 

Note: In some situations, even scholarships can’t help you – if you fail to finish your Masters within the given period of studies, for example. Focus on your study or you will have to pay the price! 

Speaking of private, this type of institutions is more or less a rare sight in Germany – about 10%. However, the smaller-sized classes, sophisticated accreditation and unique style of teaching can justify the price, which can roughly vary in the area between €3000 and €25,000 per year. 

Tip: Keep in mind that German private universities also offer grants, scholarships and other student funding methods.

In addition, the German state of Baden-Württemberg recently decided to bring back tuition fees for international students. Or putting it simply, public and private institutions there are more similar than different in their tuition systems. 

There is no doubt that a suitable student job can easily help you with financing your whole Masters study experience, so thumbs up for considering! By the way, if you wish to learn about academic requirements, application and student life in Germany – make sure to check out our dedicated article Masters in Germany! 

But back to jobs: one of the easiest ways for students to find employment would be the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, or in English – the Federal Employment Agency. And if initially you had trouble translating that, you should definitely consider sharpening your German language skills!

Regardless, it is recommended that you avoid planning full-time student employment, as national legal regulations in Germany require tax payment for income higher than €450 each month. This is usually the case for EU students while internationals can face further restrictions such as work hour limitations. 

After reading this article, you might be thinking – hey, there is certainly a reason why Germany is often called “the land of ideas”. Check out the Masters Search and see if you can find interesting study courses at German universities. Or if you’ve already found some, try planning your stay with our helpful article for Student Accommodation in Germany.