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Useful information in English for International Students in CAU Kiel!
How to get a scholarship
In Germany there are multitude of scholarships available for different categories of students.
There are scholarships from academic institutions (like DAAD), political parties or religious communities.
DAAD offers an extensive database where you can have have a better look on all German scholarships available for you, depending on your nationality, study degree, age or familiar condition. Check here.
1. Programs of the International Center
Contact CAU:
International Center
Jan Bensien
Tel.: 0431-880 3716
a) DAAD Interim Financial Aid (Überbrückungsbeihilfe or Abschlussbeihilfe) funded by the Federal Foreign Office
In exceptional cases international students from OUTSIDE the EU can apply for an interim financial aid during the final examination period. Students who are married to an EU-citizen or who have an unlimited residency permit for an EU-country CANNOT apply for the program.
The application needs to be submitted to the International Center.
This type of financial aid may be granted to students who
1. are in a situation of financial emergency for which they are not responsible,
2. have successfully carried out their studies, and
3. have a reasonable prospect of passing their examinations by the end of the given financial assistance period. In any case, it must be possible to complete the degree within one year.
The interim financial aid can be granted before the final examinations (i.e. Bachelor, Master, State examination). Due to the high number of applicants, an average amount of 3 months is usually granted. Certain exceptions apply to medical students.
Additional information, including the necessary application forms, is available at the International Center/ the International Offices of Universities in Schleswig-Holstein.
The stipends are selected by a committee that consists of representatives of the International Center of CAU, the Studentenwerk and the AStA.
b) DAAD Interim Financial Aid for Doctoral Students funded by the Federal Foreign Office
In exceptional cases international doctoral students can apply for an interim financial aid during the final period of their doctoral process.
The application can be obtained from the International Center.
This type of financial aid may be granted to doctoral students who:
1. are in a situation of financial emergency for which they are not responsible,
2. have successfully carried out their doctoral studies and are expected to finish their doctoral studies within the next 6 months,
3. have a reasonable prospect of finishing their doctoral studies successfully.
Due to the high number of applicants, an average amount of 2 months is usually granted at the end of the doctorate process.
The stipends are selected by a committee that consists of representatives of the International Center and the Graduate Center of CAU.
2. Foundations
Furthermore, there are a number of charitable foundations at the CAU. Some of these also accept applications to subsidize living expenses from international students. Find more information here.
3. Deutschlandstipendium
The Deutschlandstipendium supports students regardless of their subject and the phase of their studies for one year with 300 euros per month. As stipulated by the law, the prerequisite is that the student is high-achieving and has the prospect of excellent performance in their studies and in their professional life.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research provides the student with half the scholarship amount if private donors contribute the other half. You can find more information here.
4. Student Parishes and Organizations
In certain difficult situations there is also the possibility of financial support from the Protestant and the Catholic student parishes. Furthermore, there is the limited possibility for scholarships from the Catholic Church at KAAD. For information, please contact the student parishes.
Kiel also has an organization for the support of international students, which can provide financial assistance in difficult situations. The International Center will help you establish contact.
5. Financial aid according to the federal training assistance act, the government BAföG
Another interesting option to get financial support: BAföG (short name for Bundesausbildungsförderungs -gesetz = Federal Training Assistance Act).
This program offers financial aid and the basic principle is that the state provides you with minimum costs of living when your parents can’t provide that for you in the first place. The state will take a look at what your parents feasibly afford, and then gives you the whole amount (the minimum cost of living per month) or a part of it. Students then have to pay back 50% of the aid once they finish their studies and find a job that enables them to do so (i.e. if your salary isn’t sufficient to pay the state back, you do not have to pay it back until you earn enough). Even though the aid is partly loaned to you by the state, there is no interest rate.
According to European law, discrimination on the basis of nationally is prohibited, but for the Bafög Germany has a lot of restrictions. Unlike, for example, the CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) in France, not everybody is automatically entitled to the Bafög.
Below, you find a list of criteria for who can be granted financial aid, but unfortunately this may only apply to a few of you. If you fit any of the criteria below, you can try to apply for BAföG and you then have to prove that your parents are not able to support you financially. Besides your parents’ salary, it also depends on a number of other things, such as how many other children your parents have to support at the moment.
Please note that the Bafög law is quite long and that the list below may not be complete, but is provided by other universities to their international students.
You may be entitled to be granted the BAföG if:
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you are entitled to political asylum, an accepted refugee or a displaced person;
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one of your parents is German;
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you are married to a German;
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you have worked full-time in Germany for at least 5 years before beginning your studies;
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one of your parents was employed in Germany for at least 3 years in the 6 years before beginning your studies;
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you have been granted a settlement permit or a permanent residence permit in Germany.
For further questions you can contact the BAföG section of the Studentenwerk, located in Westring 385 – in the building of Mensa I)
For general questions (if you haven’t applied yet) you can call 0431-8816-400 (Mo-Fri 9:00 – 15:00)
Information is available at the BAFöG office:
Tuesday: 1 pm – 4:30 pm
Thursday: 9 pm - 12:30 pm
Studentenhaus, Westring 385
Or at Studentenwerk's website.
The AStA also provides an advice service, and they can help you to fill out the forms. They may not be used to the complexity of applications from international students, however. You’ll need an appointment with them for this, so write them an email at bafoegberatung@asta.uni-kiel.de