Many people know that studying abroad costs lakhs. You may also have heard of Brazil, Cuba, and some European countries offering free higher education to their citizens. But Germany also offers free higher education to foreign students who come to study in their country.
Why free? – There are more than 300 public universities in Germany. A significant number of these are ranked within the top 300 of the world rankings. Barring some of these, all including foreign students can pursue undergraduate and postgraduate education in any government university for free.
Only 200-300 Euros (Rs. 16,000-24,000) per year are charged as administrative fees. This ticket is returned as a ticket for free travel on public transport such as trains, buses and trams in the province of residence. With this fee you can get many facilities in the university for free.
The goal of the German government is to make education free for all. Talented students come from abroad to study in Germany. As such talented students come to Germany to study and work there, it has brought good results to Germany economically. Therefore, Germany offers free higher education to attract talented students.
Cost can be tackled: There is no question that the quality of free higher education will be low. German universities are known for academic excellence and excellent research. Hence, the number of students studying in Germany from many European countries is high.
The cost of living in Germany is relatively low compared to other European countries. Monthly expenses for essentials can be around 600-800 euros depending on the city. You will need to show your living expenses in your bank account for the number of months you wish to study in Germany. You don’t have to send this money to anyone.
Keep it in your bank account. Students studying in Germany are also allowed to work part-time. The income from it is enough to cover the monthly expenses. So once you get a part-time job within a month or two of coming to Germany, your money in an Indian bank account is usually not needed here.
The ‘DAAD’ organization of the German government offers various scholarships to foreign students as well. The amount depends on the university course studied. Details can be found at https://www.daad.de/en/. Besides many universities offer separate scholarships to meritorious students. You can find it through the website of the university you want to study.
When admission? – Admission varies depending on the course, university of choice. Some universities conduct online entrance test and admit students. Some other universities conduct video interview and select the students.
Some universities select based on marks obtained in previous studies. Also must have passed any of the English tests like ‘TOEFL’, ‘IELTS’ or completed Bachelor’s degree in English.
In most courses at German universities, although the language of instruction is English, no one speaks English in public. Learning German is essential to living in Germany. Almost all universities offer free German language training to foreign students. It is not necessary to have learned the language before coming to Germany.
German universities conduct admissions twice a year. The application deadlines are generally January 15 for summer admissions and July 15 for winter admissions.
– Kannan Govindaraj; [email protected]