DAAD Scholarship – A pathway for higher study in Germany

Nihal Ahmed

Germany is a very sought after destination for many higher study aspirants and researchers all over the globe. Some choose Germany because of its continuous industrial development like being the pioneer of fourth industrial revolution,while others simply choose it because the tuition fee is waived for most of the German institutes. But even though the tuition fee is free for most of the programs there are still some financial issues that are to be considered. One of the major concerns for international graduate students in Germany is the “block account”. A block account is a certain amount of money that needs to be deposited in a German bank account in order to get the German Student Visa. The amount was 8800 euros until 2019 but now it has increased to 10236 euros this year which is hefty especially for students from countries like Bangladesh.

So, is there no hope for students who cannot provide the money for block account? The answer is to this question is the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst scholarship popularly known as the DAAD scholarship. It is a German government-funded graduate scholarship program. Generally, DAAD-scholarship holders don’t need to deposit money in the block account. Along with this, the scholarship comes with a monthly stipend and travel allowance..

Before starting preparations it is better to get an idea about the deadline so that planning can be done accordingly. Unlike other scholarships, DAAD does not have a fixed deadline. The scholarship process starts about one year ahead of the session. For example, if someone wants to attend his / her classes on the 2021 summer session then he / she must begin his / her preparation on summer 2020.  To give a generalized idea, it can be said that the applications start around January and the deadlines are around August to December. For example, the Master’s Programme in International and Development Economics at HTW Berlins’ (a German university) deadline for the DAAD scholarship application is August. On the other hand, the Ph.D. Programme Mathematics in Industry and Commerce at TU Kaiserslauterns’ (another German university) deadline is on December for the same session.

Now let us look into the process of application. Firstly one must select a program from the available list of programs which is related to his/her undergraduate study. The list is available at the DAAD official website. The requirements vary from program to program. But there are some common requirements. Firstly, the applicant should hold a Bachelor’s degree with far above average result (upper third). But if a student has a good research background and industry experience then the committee might also consider him even though he/she doesn’t have the required academic result. Secondly, the applicant must have at least two years of relavant professional experience after their degree (bachelor) at the time of application. An important point is that the applicants’ academic degrees should normally not be more than six years old. It means if the applicant has graduated in 2020 then he must apply for the DAAD scholarship before 2026.

If one goes through the list of courses for DAAD scholarship then he/she would see that there are some courses with English as medium of instruction and a few courses which have German as medium of instruction. There are different types of requirements for German taught and English taught courses. For example, if the applicant wants to pursue his / her degree in German language then he / she must have the proficiency level B1 at the time of application. For courses in English language, the applicant must have a minimum score band 6 in IELTS or minimum 550 in paper-based, 213 in computer-based, 80 in internet-based TOEFL.

Now let’s see what documents should be prepared at the beginning of the application. Firstly, the applicant should fill up the DAAD scholarship application form. Then the applicant must prepare his / her CV in the Europass format which is a distinctive format for European countries. Next is the letter of motivation which consists of the background, academic and professional achievements,motivation of graduate study and other information about the applicant. If a student is applying for more than one program then he / she must also submit a choice list. An applicant can apply for a maximum of three programs. Then the applicant must collect a letter of recommendation from his / her employer. For some programs, one letter of recommendation from a professor of the previous institution is also required. The applicant must prepare a certificate(s) of Employment from the employer(s). This certificate(s) must state that the candidate has two years working experience in the relevant field after is Bachelor degree. If the candidate can submit a certificate regarding a guarantee of re-employment from his/her current employer upon returning home that would be considered as a plus point. The next document in the application package is the printed copy of language certification for courses taught in German or IELTS/TOEFL score receipt for courses taught in English. The final document in the application package is the official copies of the academic transcript including the grading scale and the degree certificate. The applicant can attest the copies from his / her university or they can just make notary copies. Some programs, especially Ph.D. programs, may also require the applicant to submit a research proposal.

When all these documents are ready then the applicant is good to go! The best thing about the DAAD scholarship is that it is completely free! No fee is required. The only cost is the courier fee. The documents can be sent directly to the intended university via any international courier service. The mailing address can be found in the respective university websites. No agency /  middleperson is required for this application.

Now let’s look at the benefits that an applicant receives if he / she receives the scholarship. As mentioned earlier, there will be no need for a block account. Along with this, the applicants will receive a monthly stipend of 850 euros for the master’s program and 1200 euros for the PhD program to cover their living expenses. The candidates also receive a one time travel allowance for coming to Germany from their home country. Some programs also offer residency fees and a monthly allowance for family members. Information about additional benefits can be found in particular University websites.

That’s all for today. If you are a working professional and have experience over two years and have a desire to pursue higher study in Germany, then I strongly suggest you to go through the courses and find a course that suits you!Check the requirements, then apply. You never know what destiny has kept for you!