STUDY IN GERMANY IS FREE
Studying Abroad in Germany for Free is a big chance not only for
European people but for students from all over the world. They benefit from a
high quality educational system, learn a new language and gain experience from
this interesting country. It doesn’t matter if one is spending his whole
studies in Germany or is just interested in a term abroad; these pages provide
the necessary information about all relevant topics.
A very good news is there for you as regards of your higher
education, as a recent refugee who got to Germany! Well, yes, you can study in
Germany same as other international students, especially if you have received
the asylum, granted refugee or “tolerated”-the application still processing
status.
Holding one of the refugee statuses, you surely can apply to
get admission in a certain German university. The admission criteria applying
to you is similar to that of any international student who seeks to pursue
higher education in any German university.
German higher education institutions and study levels
In Germany there are three categories of higher education
institutions: Universities, Universities of Applied Sciences followed by
Colleges of Art, Film and Music. Mainly universities and universities of
applied sciences are publicly funded, offering free tuition studies, while
colleges tend to be expensive since most of them are privately owned.
There are three study levels of higher education that you can
get in:
- Undergraduate studies (Bachelor) – dedicated to first time students,
- Graduate studies (Master studies) – dedicated to bachelor studies graduates,
- Postgraduate studies (Doctoral studies) – dedicated to students who have received their master degree.
Associated
with this, the followings are the study degrees you can get:
- Bachelor Degree (BA, BSc, BSEng)
6-8
semester program, 3 to 4 years, giving 180 up to 240 ECTS Credits
- Master Degree (MA, MSc, MEng)
2-4
semester program, 1 to 2 years, giving 60 up to 120 ECTS Credits
- Philosophiae Doctor (Doctor of Philosophy) Degree (Ph.D.)
4-10 semester program, together with the research work
(dissertation) completed by a doctorate.
Higher education study programmes
There are 1784 international study programmes where you can
pursue your dreamed university studies. Some universities might also offer free
courses exclusively dedicated to refugees and asylum seekers, where a list of
such universities can be reached here.
University admission criteria
The university admission conditions, as aforementioned,
applied to you as a refugee, are the same as to any other international
student. Click
here to find what kind of documents you need to submit in order for you to
apply at a German university.
Proof of language proficiency (German and/or English)
Most of German universities have their programmes offered in
German languages, however, there are also a lot of international programmes
offered in English language only or with a combination with a German and other
languages. Click
here to find out more information!
Proof a Health Insurance Coverage
As any other applicant, you must proof having the proper health
insurance coverage for the period of your studies. There are two types of
health insurances in Germany: public (statutory) and private.
There are several health insurance companies in Germany,
public and private. For the public ones there are AOK Baden Württemberg, Barmer
GEK, DAK – Gesundheit, KKH – Kaufmännische Krankenkasse, TK – Techniker
Krankenkasse and additional information as regards of offers and prices of
these providers might be found here.
Proof GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) scores
In some cases the university might require from you proving
you have passed the GMAT test. This is especially required for business
programmes, mostly when applying for master level studies.
Visit the
official GMAT website for more information.
Proof GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores
This is one of the most required test from the graduate and
business schools around the world and some German universities might require it
too.
Visit the
official GRE website for the additional information.
Proof of refugee status in Germany
You must prove you enjoy the status of the refugee in
Germany. Learn more about asylum and refugees in Germany more on the website of
the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
Passport copies
The university will also require from you submitting passport
copies of the valid passport.
Passport photos
The university will require also providing passport photos,
which will be needed for your university ID and your identification.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Another required document, not always is the Curriculum Vitae
or CV. This is a document with at the last two pages, where you provide
personal data, information about all the so-far attainments in formal and
non-formal education and if any, work experience. The information you provide,
must be in chronological order and typically in the European format “EUROPASS”.
Letter of motivation
Letter
of motivation, also known as a Cover Letter in the United States, is
typically a one page document, where you express your motivation to apply for
the programme, mentioning all the education, skills and any work experience
that relates to the programme you are applying. The motivation letter must be
clear, original and must have specific objectives, stating how this programme
could help you grow a better person in a job or a project.
Recommendation Letter
Some universities might also require from you to provide a letter
of recommendation from your earlier professor about your past academic
performance.
Essay
It is very common for universities requiring from you to
submit an essay,
where you provide few reasons why you think the programme you are applying will
improve your future professional and personal goals in specific.
Note: The application deadline is another factor of a successful
application. In case you lack meeting submission deadline, there is a
guaranteed reality that your application will be dismissed being considered and
reviewed. Therefore, make sure to recall that most universities in Germany have
their open application period for the winter semester from the end of May to 15th
of July, while for summer semester from the beginning of December o 15th
of January. Also, try to not send the application at the last minute, since the
university might require additional documents from you after the application
submission.
Application process at the university
When deciding to apply for a university programme, keep in
mind that there are a few ways to submit the application, depending on the
programme that you are applying for.
As there are many more candidates than open places to
study, Germany has decided to apply restraints on university admissions,
known as “Numerus Clausus” or NC.
There are two main different restrictions:
- Central NC or “Zentraler NC” – as for this category, restriction applies nationally, all over Germany,
- Local NC – restriction for this category applies only to particular universities.
Subject to restrictions applied for the study programme and
to the applicant’s country of origin, there are three eligible channels to
submit the application:
- Trust for Admission to Higher Education “Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung” – application fee is not applicable,
- Uni-Assist – application fee is 75 EUR,
- University directly – application fee can differ depending on the university.
Note: Be aware that the majority of universities uses the
following deadlines to notify applicants on the admission or rejection.
Notifications for the winter semester the acceptance letters are usually sent
out in August to September and rejection letters are sent out in September to
October, while, for the summer semester the acceptance letters are sent out in
February to March and rejection letters are sent out in March to April. In case
you don’t receive a notification during this period, then writing an email to
require information on your application is a must.
Enrollment at the University
Once you get admitted as a student in a German higher education
institution, the next process is getting enrolled or “matriculated” in studies.
This process involves applying to get your courses registered, in order to be
able to enroll in the academic lectures and exercises as well as to undergo the
examination.
For more information please click: Enrolling
at a German University!
Do not also forget, German universities are interested to
make new refugee students comfy, offering special welcoming programmes such as:
- Guest auditing of courses,
- Trial courses,
- Transition courses,
- Orientation courses,
- Supplementary courses
Supporting Centers for Refugees
Despite their main mission, which is educating generations,
German universities have advance their services offering counseling support for
their local and international students in many other areas, such as in living
aspects, accomodation, work, legal issues and so on. Therefore, universities
have their International Offices “Akademisches Auslandsamt” where they
can ask for support.
Moreover, to respond the need for support of the refugee
students in Germany, the country has opened its free Refugee law clinics, where
these students can address their legal issues, dealing with in a daily life
inside and outside the university and get free legal advising.
Such clinics are found in the following cities:
- Berlin,
- Cologne,
- Giessen,
- Leipzig,
- Regensburg,
- Saarbrücken and Munich.
Getting refugees funds
As you hold the refugee status in Germany according to the section
8, paragraph 2, No. 1 of the Federal Law on Support in Education
(Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, BAföG), you are eligible to apply for
getting funded from the BAföG funds for refugees, where the allowable annual amount
is 4,800 EUR.
SEE ALSO ADMISSION IN TURKEY
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