How can I finance my studies?

There are several different ways you can finance your studies in Germany. Many students work part-time alongside their full-time studies and thus also gain professional experience. Some take advantage of the opportunity to apply for a state loan or credit or finance their studies with the help of scholarships.

Picture: Ellen Lewis

Budget Planning

Before you start looking for a job or applying for a scholarship, find out more about the costs involved when studying in Germany and plan your budget accordingly.

Budget and Costs

Side Jobs

Many students turn to side jobs or part-time jobs during their studies so that they can find a way to make money in order to support themselves and their everyday lives as they concentrate on their studies. There are many possibilities to earn an income as a student. You can either apply for a job as a student assistant at the university or check out other part-time jobs elsewhere in the city of Darmstadt or surrounding areas.

Check out our links below for more information and resources on all topics regarding working when studying in Germany.

According to German Law (§16b para.1 AufenthG), you have the right to work during your studies.

  • International students can work 140 full days (full-time or 40 hours a week) per year
  • OR 280 half days (part-time or 20 hours a week) per year
  • International students cannot work as freelancers or as self-employed
  • International students may work as academic assistants within the university without a limit to the number of days you are allowed to work per year.

It is important to inform your designated Foreigners Office when you start a new job. We recommend sending the Foreigners Office an email with your full name, your birthdate and a copy of your job contract. They will get in touch with you directly if they require further information.

Scholarships and Awards

TU Darmstadt supports its international students with its own scholarship programmes and information on scholarship searches.

A scholarship gives you more time to concentrate on your studies and make initial contacts in the business world. The award is often tied to specific criteria, such as nationality, country of origin, age or degree programme. Commitment can pay off here. Once a year, the DAAD Prize for outstanding achievements and commitment is awarded to someone from the international student body at TU Darmstadt.

DAAD

List of scholarships from the DAAD and other organisations

TU Darmstadt's Scholarship Programmes:

This scholarship is designed to support international students whose financial difficulties are directly related to individual challenges they face during their studies. To be eligible for this support, these challenges must arise from one or more of the listed circumstances.

  • Refugee background: Students with a refugee background.
  • Disability and/or chronic illness: Students with a disability (at least GdB 50) and/or a chronic illness.
  • Gender identity: Students who face particular challenges in their everyday student life due to their gender identity.
  • Care situation: Students who are responsible for caring for children or relatives in need of care.

Funding

  • Duration: 6 months
  • Sum: 6 x 500 Euros (3,000 Euros)

Next Application period:

  • 10.02. – 10.03.2026
  • Start of funding: 01.04.2026

Requirements:

International students can apply who:

  • are enrolled in a regular degree programme (Bachelor's, Master's or teaching degree programme) at the Technical University of Darmstadt (i.e. not as part of an exchange)
  • have acquired a higher education entrance qualification abroad or Studienkolleg in Germany.
  • do not have German citizenship
  • have been living in Germany for at least 6 months

Award Procedure:

  • A scholarship committee makes its decision based on the submitted application documents.
  • In cases of doubt, applicants may be invited to a selection interview.
  • The decision-making process takes approx. 6-8 weeks, after which the decisions are sent out. For applicants, this means that decisions can be expected in November for the October-March funding period and in May for the April-September funding period.
  • Students can only be funded once in each degree programme

Please upload the following documents to the application portal as one PDF file:

1. Application Form:

Fully completed and signed application form (opens in new tab)

2. Application Attachments:

  • Current enrolment certificate from TU Darmstadt. If starting studies at the beginning of the funding period, please submit an admission notice (or proof of application); the enrolment certificate must be submitted later.
  • Tabular CV
  • Proof of income (bank statements of all accounts of the last three months)

3. Proof:

To support your application, you can submit documents to prove your individual challenges and circumstances. Please upload documents in German or English as PDF files to the portal..

  • Refugee Background
    • Proof of current residence status (especially residence permit according to §25 para. 1 or 2, §24 or §22)
    • BAföG notice or rejection
  • Disability and/or chronic illness
    • Proof of disability degree of at least 50% (disability card) or medical certificate of the existing disability
    • Medical certificate of chronic illness with a description of the associated limitations
    • Proof of medical costs and, if applicable, relevant noticication from the health insurance company
  • Gender-Identity
    • We recognize that there is often no formal documentation available. In these cases, please provide a detailed and comprehensive description of your situation in the application form, explaining the resulting challenges clearly.
    • Proof of medical costs and, if applicable, corresponding notice from the health insurance company
  • Care of minors in one's own hausehold
    • Birth certificate(s) and registration certificates of the childern
  • Caring for 1st and 2nd degree relatives
    • Proof of the person(s) in need of care: Registration certificate showing the address of the person in need of care; if applicable, birth certificate showing the relationship

Please note:

Your data and the documents submitted will be treated in strict confidence. You may black out information that is not relevant.

Please feel free if you have any questions.

A scholarship for international students

International students can apply for the performance based scholarship if they are in the final phase of their studies.

Applications are possible twice a year, from 01 – 15 April and from 01 – 15 October.

Next application period

The online application portal is open from 1 to 15 April 2026..

Requirements

  • Citizenship other than German
  • Higher education entrance qualification from a country other than Germany or from a “Studienkolleg” in Germany
  • Enrolment in a Bachelor, Master or teaching program at TU Darmstadt
  • overall GPA ≤ 2,5
  • Final thesis is already registered or will be within the next six months

Students in cooperation programs or Erasmus programmes as well as doctoral students cannot apply for this financial assistance.

Award procedure

  • Funding is awarded on the basis of performance criteria and, if applicable, in consideration of the applicant's social or family situation
  • Students with children will be considered in particular
  • Students can only be funded once in each course of study

Complete the online application form, print and sign it. with the following documents as a scan:

  1. Current transcript of records, issued by the “Studienbüro” (departmental study office). Contact your study office by e-mail: have a transcript of records sent to you.
  2. Form “Confirmation of thesis registration” (opens in new tab)
    If you have already registered your thesis, please fill in the form “Confirmation of thesis registration” and have it signed and stamped and sent to you as a scan. Even if your thesis has not been registered yet, please fill out the form „Confirmation of thesis registration” and mark “thesis has not been registered to date”. A confirmation of “Studienbüro” is not required in this case.
  3. Evaluation Form (opens in new tab)
    The evaluation must be completed by the supervising professor or a supervisor. If you do not have a supervisor, yet, one of your professors needs to complete the form. The evaluation form can be submitted either directly by e-mail or together with the application
    Important: The evaluation is only valid with signature of the evaluator.
  4. Letter of Motivation (opens in new tab)
  5. Proof, if applicable
  • Proof of social hardship or family situation that needs to be considered in particular, if applicable (e.g. birth certificate of child)
  • Proof of the duration and amount of scholarships you have received or are currently receiving.

Important note:

Applications that are incomplete or handed in after the application period cannot be considered.

The use of AI tools must be clearly indicated by stating in your documents that text passages were created with the help of an AI tool. Include the note ‘Produced with the aid of (tool used)’.

The selection process takes about 6-8 weeks, then the decisions are sent out.

In practice, this means that applicants can expect decisions in the funding period October-March in December and in the funding period April-September in June.

The scholarship will amount to at least 250 euros per month and is granted for a period of between one and a maximum of six months.

The scholarship committee awards the scholarships in line with the award regulations, according to performance criteria and, if necessary, in consideration of the student's social and family situation. Students with children are given special consideration.

If a large number of students apply in one application phase, this can lead to many applicants only being granted a short funding period, as the same scholarship budget is allocated in each application round.

If the submission date of your thesis is already at the beginning of the funding period, only a short funding period can be approved, at most until the submission date.

  • If you have received a scholarship award: Complete and sign the acceptance form and send it back to us via e-mail.
  • If you have received a conditional scholarship award: Send us the acceptance form and the completed form “Confirmation of Thesis Registration” signed and stamped by the Office of Student Affairs via e-mail as soon as you have registered your thesis.

The first payment is usually issued within four weeks after we have received your complete documents.

Contact us (iss@zv.tu-darmstadt.de) with your concerns and we will advise you on your options.

You can appeal within a period of four weeks after you receive the decision.

If you are continuing to write your thesis in the following funding period, or possibly just starting your thesis and meet the required GPA by then, we recommend that you apply again.

Yes, you can apply for both the bachelor thesis and the master thesis. You can receive the graduation scholarship once per degree programme.

Please email us (iss@zv.tu-darmstadt.de) and we will be happy to advise you on your options.

If your thesis is postponed and you do not submit your thesis registration by March 31 (for October applications) or September 30 (for April applications), the granted scholarship will expire. You can apply again in the next application period.

Generally, anyone who already receives performance-based material support -such as the Deutschlandstipendium-, cannot receive the graduation scholarship.

The Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Arts and Culture (HMWK) awards scholarships for particularly talented and high-achieving refugee students, PhD students and researchers within the framework of the “HessenFonds”.

Next Application period:

Summer 2026

Prerequisites:

  • Eligible for asylum or status as a recognized refugee
  • Generally not registered in Germany for more than four years at the time of the start of funding.
  • The continuous residence in Germany does not exceed five years.
  • Students
    • Enrollment at TU Darmstadt (if you are studying at another university in Hessen, please contact the respective office at your university)
    • high academic achievements
  • PhD students
    • accepted as a PhD student and supervised at a state university in Hessen
    • high academic achievements
  • Researchers
    • guarantee of a research or teaching placement at a state university in Hessen
    • a supporting statement from the same state university in Hessen
    • exceptional achievements in research and/or teaching

Scope of Funding:

  • Students
    • 300 euro / month
  • PhD students
    • 1.200 euro / month
  • Researchers
    • 2.300 euro / month

Funding period:

Direct application at the Hessian Ministry of Science and Arts is not possible.

Are you interested in applying? Then please contact us: as soon as possible. We are happy to help you and answer your questions.

Our internal application deadline is 14th december 2025.

Information on the HessenFonds scholarship for refugee and at risk researchers as well as PhD students at risk can be found on the SAR website and the HMWK website.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) administers the scholarship programme “Hilde Domin Programme”. It serves to support students and doctoral candidates from across the globe, who are at risk of being formally or de facto denied educational or other rights in their country of origin, and to provide these students and doctoral candidates with an opportunity to begin or complete a study or research degree at a higher education institution in Germany.

Potential candidates cannot themselves apply for participation in the Hilde Domin Programme. They should be nominated by the university.

Nomination deadline

For planned start of studies in summer semester 2027 the nomination deadline is 20th February 2026.

Who can be nominated?

Students, aiming for a master’s degree, and doctoral candidates worldwide who are at risk of being formally or de facto denied educational rights in their country of origin due to their ethnic, sexual, gender or religious identity and/or their political or civic engagement.

Requirements:

Potential candidates:

  • must prove or credibly demonstrate a threat to personal well-being or safety (for example by physical violence, imprisonment, denial of civil and education rights etc.) to the nominating institution
  • be in possession of educational certificates that allow access to a higher education institution and guarantee the completion of an intended course of study or research project
  • may not be already residing in Germany or the European Union at the time of nomination
  • must not have a longer gap than six years from their last matriculation at the foreign higher education institution
  • must have a proof of language proficiency (German/ English) depending on the language of the desired programme

Scholarship Value:

  • monthly 992 EUR for master students or 1,300 EUR for doctoral candidates

Funding Duration:

  • for a master’s degree usually 24 months
  • doctoral degree is up to 48 months

Important note: A second master’s or doctoral degree will not be funded.

Further information about Hilde Domin Programme can be found on DAAD website Hilde Domin Programme – DAAD.

Potential candidates cannot themselves apply for participation in the Hilde Domin Programme. They should be nominated by a university or a higher education institution in Germany. If you are interested in studying at Technical University of Darmstadt you can contact us regarding a nomination at

Nomination deadline

for planned start of studies in summer semester 2027 the nomination deadline is 20 February 2026.

Deutschlandstipendium

The Germany Scholarship as financial support for a limited time.

Learn more

Other financing options

DAAD

International students can find a list of scholarships from the DAAD and other organisations.

BAföG (GER)

Under certain conditions international students can also receive BAföG

KfW (GER)

The Studierendenwerk provides advice on student loans