Options for Financing Your Education
There are various ways to finance your studies or cover your living expenses. We’d be happy to provide you with more information here.
Scholarships
Both the THA and external institutions offer scholarships or short-term emergency grants.
There are scholarships awarded directly by the university. However, please note that you must already be a student at the university to be eligible.
International students may find themselves in financial distress and, as a result, be unable to continue their studies. f.au.st e.V. can provide immediate assistance or help connect students with resources when talented international students from lower-income countries need financial support.
The non-profit association for the support of international students in Augsburg (f.au.st e.V.) is an initiative of members of the Studentenwerk, the University of Augsburg, and Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, as well as citizens of Augsburg.
Detailed information can be found on the f.au.st website
Brot für die Welt supports international students and young researchers with scholarships. The program is aimed particularly at people from countries where access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities is often limited, as well as at people from Eastern Europe and refugees in Germany.
The goal of the program is to strengthen knowledge and skills so that recipients can work toward peace, justice, sustainable development, and the advancement of their societies. The support includes financial aid, counseling, seminars, and opportunities to network with other scholarship recipients.
Eligibility generally requires good academic performance as well as social or church-related involvement. In addition, applicants are expected to be willing to later apply the knowledge they have acquired for the common good and the development of their home country or local community.
The goal of the Avicenna Scholarship Foundation is to provide comprehensive support to talented Muslim undergraduate and graduate students through scholarships. It also supports study abroad programs, internships, and language courses abroad.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation supports German and international students with good to very good academic performance. Additional requirements include social or political engagement, as well as a liberal and cosmopolitan outlook. The support includes a monthly stipend, seminars for personal and professional development, and the opportunity to network with other scholarship recipients. The goal is to support committed students on their educational journey and to encourage their active participation in shaping society.
The Heinrich Böll Foundation offers scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students of all disciplines and nationalities. The foundation supports individuals who demonstrate excellent academic or research performance, are socially engaged, and show an interest in political issues. The Foundation’s values—such as sustainability, democracy, human rights, justice, and self-determination—are also important. The program includes financial support, seminars, educational opportunities, and the chance to exchange ideas with other scholarship recipients. The goal is to support committed individuals on their educational journey and to strengthen their active participation in shaping society.
The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation supports undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate strong academic performance and are socially engaged. The foundation’s support is guided by the values of democracy, social justice, solidarity, and equal opportunity. In addition to financial support, the Foundation offers seminars, educational programs, counseling, and opportunities to interact with other scholarship recipients. The goal is to support committed individuals on their educational journey and to encourage their active participation in a just and democratic society.
The Free State of Bavaria’s BAYHOST Annual Scholarship is specifically intended for international college graduates from certain countries in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe.
Applicants must be citizens of one of the following countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, or Hungary. It is therefore important that applicants come from one of these countries and hold a valid passport from that country.
As a rule, a bachelor’s degree or a comparable university degree is also required. The funding is intended for individuals who wish to pursue a master’s degree, a doctoral degree, or a research stay in Bavaria.
Other important requirements include:
- excellent academic performance
- a specific study or research project in Bavaria
- sufficient language proficiency (German or English, depending on the program)
- in most cases, residency in the applicant’s home country at the time of application
- financial need (otherwise, the studies cannot be adequately funded)
The scholarship is initially awarded for one year and can generally be renewed. The goal is to foster academic exchange between Bavaria and the countries listed, as well as to promote international cooperation.
The Max Weber Program of the Bavarian Elite Network supports exceptionally talented students at Bavarian universities.
Students from all EU countries are eligible to apply. To qualify, students must either:
- be enrolled at a Bavarian university or
- have earned their high school diploma or university entrance qualification in Bavaria.
There is also an important age limit: Funding is generally intended for students who are under 23 years of age at the start of their studies or upon admission to the program.
Additional requirements include:
- excellent academic performance in high school or college
- enrollment at a university in Bavaria
- sufficient knowledge of German (depending on the degree program and stage of the program)
- Selection through a merit-based process, often involving additional exams or recommendations
The program offers not only financial support but also seminars, language courses, summer academies, individual mentoring, and opportunities for study abroad and academic networking. The goal is to support particularly talented students in their academic and personal development.
The KAAD (Catholic Academic Service for Foreign Students) is the scholarship organization of the Catholic Church in Germany and provides support specifically to international students and doctoral candidates.
Generally, students from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Near and Middle East, and Eastern and Southeastern Europe are eligible to apply. It is important that applicants typically come from one of these countries and have either already completed a degree in their home country or are currently studying at a German university.
Requirements for a scholarship generally include very good academic performance as well as involvement in church or community activities. Additionally, applicants are expected to be willing to later apply their knowledge to promote social development in their home country or region.
Recommendations from church or Catholic partner organizations or university chaplaincies also play an important role in the selection process. In many cases, direct self-application is not possible or only possible to a limited extent; instead, selection takes place through these partner organizations.
In addition, a good command of German and a willingness to participate in accompanying programs and in intercultural and interreligious exchange are expected.
The Otto Benecke Foundation e.V. supports people with a migration background in education, vocational training, and employment. It offers various support programs, such as language courses, certification programs, seminars, and counseling. The goal is to improve opportunities for vocational training, higher education, and employment, and to strengthen social participation. This enables participants to develop their skills and actively participate in society.
Further information:
The BayBIDS Motivational Scholarship is intended for high-achieving graduates of German schools abroad and partner schools (PASCH schools) who wish to begin their studies in Bavaria.
International students who have earned their university entrance qualification at such a school abroad and are about to begin their studies at a Bavarian university are eligible to apply.
Key requirements are:
- excellent academic performance
- eligibility to study in Germany (university entrance qualification)
- very good knowledge of German or a strong motivation to learn German
- Plans to begin studies at a university in Bavaria
- extracurricular involvement (such as community service) is often viewed as an asset
The scholarship is intended to ease the transition into college and help students better adapt to the organizational and financial challenges they face at the start of their studies. It serves as recognition of their decision to study in Bavaria.
The funding is provided for a limited period and is primarily intended as a starting aid at the beginning of one’s studies.
Some international students who are permitted to stay in Germany long-term (such as recognized refugees) or who have been living in Germany for a long time can finance their studies through state financial aid (BAföG).
Half of this funding is provided as a loan and half as a grant. You’ll only have to repay the loan portion later, up to a maximum of 10,000 euros. The grant is provided by the government at no cost to you.
You can apply for domestic BAföG at the Studentenwerk Augsburg.
International students who are eligible for BAföG and have reached the final phase of their studies may apply for a graduation loan from the Darlehenskasse der Bayerischen Studentenwerke e.V.
You should submit your application for a graduation loan to the Studentenwerk Augsburg.
Working While in College
Students from the European Union and the EEA are allowed to work in Germany without restrictions. Freelance or self-employed work is also permitted.
If you work no more than 20 hours per week during the semester, no social security contributions will be deducted from your pay. Regardless of how much you earn, you therefore do not pay any additional contributions toward health, long-term care, or unemployment insurance. You are only required to pay pension insurance contributions. However, if you work more than 20 hours per week, you will lose your student status and become fully subject to social insurance contributions.
Please, please remember: If you want to take on a part-time student job or complete a paid internship in Germany, you must take out German health insurance.
