Germany: where to look for a scholarship and where to apply
GermanyMoney and scholarships4 min readOfficial source
Verified10/19/2026daad.de
Germany has two different addresses: the DAAD scholarship database and the Deutschlandstipendium, which you apply for at the university. Here is how they differ and why neither replaces visa money.
The DAAD database
The German Academic Exchange Service keeps a searchable scholarship database — the main official entry point for a foreign applicant. Search it for your case rather than for “a scholarship to Germany”: the database filters by citizenship, level and field, and most rows will not fit you on a formal ground.
An important consequence: each programme in the database has its own announcing body. DAAD runs its own programmes but also lists other people's — foundations, federal states, universities. You apply where the particular announcement says, not “to DAAD”.
Deutschlandstipendium
The second line works differently. The Deutschlandstipendium is joint money from the state and a private donor, distributed by the university itself. Three practical consequences follow:
- You apply to the university, not to a ministry and not to DAAD.
- Deadlines differ by university, and the announcement sits on its own site — in the section for students, not for applicants.
- You normally apply once enrolled, rather than instead of being admitted.
The programme is not tied to citizenship: it is a scholarship for academic results and circumstances, not a separate one for foreigners.
What a scholarship does not replace
Money in a blocked account and a scholarship are requirements of different authorities. The consulate checks the account when deciding whether to let you into the country; the scholarship is awarded by whoever pays for your studies. A letter about an awarded scholarship is sometimes accepted in place of part of the sum — but that is the consulate's decision, and it is the consulate you should ask.
In the same way, a scholarship does not remove health insurance or the semester contribution: the student pays the contribution even when tuition is free.
The order that saves months
Admission first, money second — but search for both at once. Ministry programmes have deadlines earlier than the admission decision arrives, and waiting for the university's letter before looking for a scholarship means losing a whole year.