BAföG abroad: Within the EU member states and Switzerland, it is possible to complete an education abroad either fully or only partially. Studies abroad must last at least six months - i.e. one semester - in order to be funded under BAföG. In the case of a compulsory internship or an exchange study within the framework of a university cooperation, the training must last at least twelve weeks. A further prerequisite for the granting of BAföG abroad is that the stay abroad is conducive to the education in Germany.

Auslands-BAföG should be applied for at the BAföG Office responsible for the target country at least six months before the start of the stay abroad. More information can be found here.

Students who do not receive domestic BAföG may also be eligible for Auslands-BAföG. It is important for domestic BAföG recipients to note that after returning from abroad, a new application must be submitted to the education funding office responsible for Freie Universität. It is good to know that a maximum of one year abroad is not counted towards the standard period of study in Germany. This can practically extend the maximum duration of BAföG funding by one year.

DAAD: The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports fully enrolled students, graduates, doctoral candidates and postgraduates at state or state-recognized universities. This also applies to international students, as long as they are enrolled in a degree program at a German university with the aim of obtaining a degree at that university, or pursuing a doctorate at a German university.

DAAD scholarships abroad are awarded on the basis of academic qualifications and personal suitability; a selection committee usually decides on the award. The amount of the scholarships varies according to program and host country. Other DAAD scholarships relate to specific subject groups (e.g. natural or economic sciences or language, literature and regional studies) and specific universities or countries. For more information, please visit the DAAD website here.

Talent-based Scholarships: The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports twelve funding programs for academically talented students. They provide financial support in the form of monthly scholarships and grants for study visits, language courses and internships abroad, seminars, symposia, academies, conferences and workshops, contacts with speakers, trusted lecturers and tutors. You can find more information here (in German).

Private and public scholarships: With the scholarship pilot, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) offers an interactive platform to find the right scholarship for you based on your desired criteria. The comprehensive scholarship database can be filtered according to many different criteria, such as educational phases, fields of study or target regions. The scholarship pilot is the central point of contact for nationwide and international scholarships in the private and public sectors. You can visit the scholarship database here (in German).

Student loan: Variable-interest student loans to finance living expenses during the first degree are granted by the development bank of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), a public law institution of the German federal and state governments, to German and, under certain conditions, foreign students under 30 years of age. In contrast to BAföG funding, students do not have to prove financial need. The student loan also continues to be paid for semesters abroad, provided that no semester off has been applied for. Find out more here.

Education loan: Advanced German students and, under certain conditions, foreign students under the age of 36 who have completed the 4th semester of a bachelor's degree program or are enrolled in a master's degree program can apply for an education loan, which also carries a variable interest rate. Financial need plays no role in the awarding process. Funding can be provided for studies abroad if the work performed there is credited to the studies in Germany as well as for an internship abroad, if it is related to the content of the studies in Germany. The education loan can also be used to finance extra expenses in addition to BAföG funding. Find out more here.