€992 Monthly DAAD Master's Scholarship

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, pays a monthly stipend to graduates who want to do a full Master's degree at a state or state-recognised university in Germany, or spend one year of a home-university Master's studying in Germany. It is open to graduates of every academic discipline, with separate DAAD programmes for music, fine art, performing arts and architecture. The deadline depends on the country you live in, from 21 October 2026 for the earliest countries to 19 January 2027 for Spain.

What you get:

• A scholarship of 992 euros a month for 10 to 24 months, matching the standard length of your programme
• Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance
• A travel allowance, on application
• A study allowance of 460 euros a year
• An online German course paid for after you are awarded, and if needed a funded 2, 4 or 6 month German course in Germany before your studies start
• Reimbursement of a TestDaF or DSH test fee
• Depending on circumstances, a monthly rent subsidy, a family allowance and extra support for disability or chronic illness, applied for after funding starts

What you'll do:

• Apply for admission to your chosen Master's programme in Germany yourself, separately from the DAAD application
• Complete the online application in the DAAD portal with a CV, a 1 to 3 page letter of motivation, transcripts, proof of language skills and one recommendation letter from a university teacher
• After your first year, have your academic progress reviewed before the scholarship continues

Key dates:

• Applications opened 1 June 2026 and close at midnight German time (24.00 CET or CEST) on your country's deadline. Check the date for the country you live in on the DAAD page before you apply; the dates below were read on 24 September 2026.
• 21 October (the page prints no year): Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand
• 21 October 2026: Singapore
• 30 October 2026: Canada, United States
• 2 November 2026: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
• 16 November 2026: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Vatican City
• 30 November 2026: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden
• 1 December 2026: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom
• 19 January 2027: Spain
• Selection: between February and May 2027, depending on country (US and Canada results announced through the portal at the beginning of April)
• Funding starts 1 October 2027 as a rule, or earlier if you take a German language course first

More information:

• DAAD does not pay tuition fees. Most state universities in Germany charge none, but Baden-Wuerttemberg charges non-EU students 1,500 euros a semester, TUM charges 4,000 to 6,000 euros a semester for Master's programmes, and all universities charge a semester fee
• Applying for university admission is separate and can cost money: DAAD's own admissions guide says uni-assist charges 75 euros for the first programme and 30 euros for each further one in the same semester, and language certificates may carry fees DAAD does not reimburse
• DAAD notes the stipend may not cover all living costs in cities with high rents, so you may need some of your own funds
• Applicants from the US and Canada should read DAAD New York's country-specific page; DAAD partner universities may set an earlier internal deadline

• You must live in, and apply from, one of the countries listed for this programme on the DAAD page. If your country is not listed, DAAD says you cannot apply to this programme
• You must hold a first degree (for example a Bachelor's) by the time funding begins
• As a rule, your most recent degree should be no more than 6 years old at the application deadline, with allowances for childcare, caring, illness, disability or military service
• You cannot apply if you have lived in Germany for more than 15 months at the application deadline
• A Master's programme you have already started in Germany cannot be funded
• Proof of the language of instruction (German, English, or both), no older than 3 years
• DAAD sets no fixed age limit for this programme
• US and Canada: US or Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or foreign nationals living there whose last degree was, or will be, from a US or Canadian university