Scholarships & Financial Aid
Studying in Germany is not expensive in international comparison. No tuition fees are charged at state colleges and universities, including the University of Applied Sciences (EAH) Jena. Only if you exceed the standard period of study by four semesters, you will have to pay so-called long-term fees in Thuringia, as in most German states. Only education and living costs are incurred, about which you should inform yourself in advance. An overview of education and living costs can be found on the website of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
DAAD Prize at the EAH Jena
Prize of the German Academic Exchange Service for outstanding achievements of international students at German universities
Awarded with €1,000, the DAAD Prize is tendered once per year at the EAH Jena. The DAAD Prize shall draw attention to the increasing number of international students at the EAH Jena and connect interesting stories with faces. The DAAD Prize honours international students of the EAH Jena who have achieved excellent study results and showed remarkable social or intercultural commitment. Individual persons as well as bodies or groups, which are associated with the EAH Jena, may submit nominations.
| Year | Name | Nationality | Course of study |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mr Aliaksei Kobylinskiy | Belarus | Research group “Applied Optics” |
| 2023 | Mr Suliman Kasem | Syria | Medical Engineering (M.Sc.) |
| 2022 | Ms Imane Nahid | Morocco | Industrial Engineering (M.Sc.) |
| 2021 | Ms Sabrina Oberli Palma | Swiss/Venezuela | Medical Engineering (M.Sc.) |
| 2020 | Mr Muhammad Maaz Majid | Pakistan | Mechatronics (M.Eng.) |
| 2019 | Mr Ahmed Ibrahim Diab | Syria | Medical Engineering (M.Sc.) |
| 2018 | Ms Marie-Sophie Romano | France | Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (B.Eng.) |
Scholarships from the University and the City of Jena
The End-Of-Study Scholarship of the DAAD supports international students to focus on the successful completion of their degree courses in the last phase of their studies. The prerequisite for the application is that the successful completion of the studies can be realized within one year. The selection of the scholarship holders is carried out by a commission of the EAH Jena taking into account the study achievements and the financial situation of the applicants. The announcement takes place once per semester.
- Next application period: Summer semester 2025
Scholarship holders must write a report on their experiences after completing the scholarship and send it to the International Office. If you agree that we may publish the report on the EAH Jena website ("International" section) and on Instagram (eahjena.beratung), please also sign the declaration of consent.
The Deutschlandstipendium is a scholarship for gifted and talented young people who also show special social commitment. This scholarship opportunity is open to international students too. The application is made via the Career Service of the EAH Jena.
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Next application period: Summer semester 2025
Students who have registered their primary residence in Jena for the first time and are under 30 years of age, may apply for the educational grant of the city of Jena. It amounts to €60 for one semester. The application is available for a total of two semesters, i.e., a maximum of € 120. The deadline for applications for the current calendar year is 31 December.
Foundation Scholarships
In Germany, there are many foundations with different social and political orientations and target groups. You should therefore first research the goals and criteria of the foundation and seek advice before applying for a scholarship. Here you will find a list of party-affiliated foundations that also award scholarships to international students.
The application process usually consists of several stages. If the foundation is interested in your written application, an interview with a lecturer of the foundation usually follows. If you advance one round, selection interviews often take place at the foundation's location.
German language skills at level B2 are a minimum requirement for all listed foundations. In addition to good academic performance, voluntary work also plays an important role. Part-time jobs that you use to finance your studies are not considered voluntary work. Voluntary work means that you work for others in an association or group, for example, and that you do so without pay.
Would you like to do voluntary work, but don't know where? Let's get advise! The Jena Civic Foundation advises and places people in voluntary work.
Scholarship Search on the Internet
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers the most comprehensive funding programme. Databases and scholarship guides make it easier for you to find a suitable scholarship provider.
Selection of search engines and data bases for scholarships:
- The scholarship database of the DAAD.
- The search engines myStipendium (in German) or Scholarshipportal.
- The European Funding Guide of the ItS Initiative for Transparent Student Funding.
Emergency Financial Aid
If you have found yourself in a financial emergency situation through no fault of your own, you can find an overview of assistance offers here.
Students who are currently in a difficult financial situation due to the Corona crisis can apply for an interest-free short-term loan from the Studierendenwerk Thüringen in the amount of 800 euros on a one-time basis. The application for the loan can be made at the General Social Counselling of the Studierendenwerk.
Students experiencing financial hardship can apply to the Studierendenwerk for tokens, which are provided as a subsidy for meals in the students' cafeterias. These students can receive up to 85 free meals per semester for a maximum of two semesters in total.
The "StudiumThüringenPlus" study start-up assistance is a one-time support for financially needy first-year students prior to the start of their studies in the first university semester in the amount of € 500 from the summer semester of 2021 until the winter semester of 2023/2024. The "StudiumThüringenPlus" start-up aid is intended to make it easier for students to start their studies and is granted to financially needy first-year students who are admitted to a state or state-recognised Thuringian higher education institution for the first time.
Applications must be submitted before the start of the course of study and in due time by
- March 15 of each year for the upcoming summer semester and
- 15 September of each year for the upcoming winter semester.
International students can apply to the Evangelische Studierendengemeinde Jena for financial aid from the emergency fund of the Diakonisches Werk of the EKM or be nominated for a scholarship from "Brot für die Welt". The contact person is the university pastor who is entrusted with the university and student work of the ESG in Jena.
The university chaplain of the Catholic Student Community Jena is the contact person for all questions regarding the scholarships (Cusanuswerk, KAAD), national university policy and administration as well as for all concerns regarding community life.
International students who find themselves in a serious financial, personal, political or illness-related emergency situation can apply for one-off funding from the DAAD Foundation's Emergency Fund. In order to apply, it must be proven that, in principle, no funding is possible from other DAAD funds, public funds or other third-party funds. The DAAD Foundation is the contact person.