Applying for A Study Loan in Germany: Masters And Ph.D.

Applying for A Study Loan in Germany: Masters And Ph.D: As an ideal destination for international students, Germany offers some of the best conditions to pursue a degree and enjoy an authentic German experience.

Living in Germany as an international student comes at a very lower cost. However, living in a foreign country while being far away from home means you must possess perfect skills in financial management. This will come in handy as you need to figure out as an international student how to start preparing your finances and how you’re going to cover your living expenses in Germany in advance.

Ph.D. studies in Germany like other undergraduate studies attract a cost; the cost of Post-Graduate studies in addition to the enrollment and confirmation fees. Fortunately and interestingly, there are a high number of loans for Masters and Ph.D. studies in Germany.

With the fact that German universities are budget-friendly in comparison with other schools outside of Europe, which has made them an ideal destination for international students, Germany offers some of the best conditions to get a degree while enjoying an amazing experience.

It was formally declared that all universities in Germany will not charge tuition fees for undergraduate studies sometimes ago. In some States, universities will charge a semester contribution of about 50 Euros and/or administration fees about 50 Euros.

But the Federal State of Baden-ürttenberg still charges tuition fees. For, Masters, Diploma, and bachelor degree program, state examination degree programs of €1,500 is charged per semester for international students.

See Also: How to Study, Work and Earn Money While Studying in Germany

APPLYING FOR A LOAN

Despite German universities having zero or very low tuition fees and the cost of living being reasonably low compared to other countries, two-thirds of international students still choose to work part-time to cover their living expenses. There are various governmental-funded and non-governmental funded student Grant resources, created to help students finance their studies in Germany by offering loans often with zero or very low rates of interest. Moreover, many German universities have established their own student loan schemes to support foreign students.

Public student loan schemes mostly charge no interest rate, while non-government resources may apply a low rate of interest. Apart from the interest, there may be other limitations, mostly having to do with the time limit within which you’re obligated to pay the money back and the amount of money you can borrow. Note that you can’t rely only on student loans since the amount you can get from a loan scheme is limited and not enough to cover all expenses. As such, a student loan can only come as a complementary fund to your financial resources for financing studies in Germany.

Below are some resources where you can go looking for a friendly student loan to finance your studies.

1.Federal Education and Training Assistance Act (BAFÖG)

Duration: 24 monthly.

Value: £300/month.

Repayment: Four years after the first payment of the loan.

BAFÖG established its foundation in 1971, over four million people have benefited from their services. Their mission is to give opportunities to talented students to get an education despite the lack of proper financial funds to achieve this. Their funds are rather grants or free-interest loans.

2.Deutschlandstipendium

Duration: monthly.

Value: 300€ / monthly

Repayment plan: Four years after the first payment of the loan.

This is available to all students without a residency requirement. This is a merit-based program, requiring academic excellence and in addition, evidence of social commitment and personal achievements, such as overcoming challenges in his or her life or obstacles caused by family or social background. There is a flat payment of 300 € a month, provided on a 50/50 basis by the state and private businesses.

3.Bildungskredit

Duration: 24 months.

Value:7200 €/month.

Repayment: Four years after the first payment of the loan.

This type of student loan carries a low-interest rate and is not a need-based platform, hence everyone has access to it. It is another fund that is granted by the German government in association with a private banking group. In contrast to BAFÖG, Bildungskredit is awarded to individuals who are at higher stages of their education and need a loan to carry on.

4.Bank Loan

With the large numbers of banks in Germany, which have gone ahead to not only own their own student loan scheme but one with great interest rate. An international student can smoothly finance their stay in Germany. Some of the banks that can provide these loans are; Deutfractionk, Raiffeisenresource Sparkasse, Hypovereinsbank.

Note that it is highly advisable to first of all check if your chosen university donates student loans to the international student before you go looking for an organization that can grant you a student loan. Also, the above-listed loan options are just a fraction of the loan resource center.

You may wish to check: Grant Programs for International Students in USA [Other Opportunities]