As a rule, there are no tuition fees at state universities for Bachelor’s degree programmes and many Master’s programmes. Nevertheless, tuition fees may be charged for certain Master’s or PhD programmes. Private universities mostly charge fees.

The amount of tuition fees can vary considerably, but says nothing about the quality of the education.

The German state of Baden-Württemberg, where students from non-EU countries have to pay regular tuition fees, wants to ensure that Ukrainian students are exempt from paying tuition fees until further notice.

Tuition fees at German higher education institutions

German universities and colleges do not generally charge tuition fees (with the exception of private universities and colleges in Baden-Württemberg). This means that you do not have to pay any additional fees to be able to study, apart from some administrative fees, which vary depending on the university and are charged at the beginning of the semester. Nevertheless, studying naturally involves costs (e.g. for housing and general living expenses).

BAföG for Ukrainian refugee students

From June 1, 2022, Ukrainian students can receive the German Federal Training Assistance Act (the so-called BAföG) if they have or have applied for a residence permit in accordance with Section 24 Paragraph 1 of the Residence Act. It is only possible to receive BAföG after regular enrolment in a degree-oriented course of study.  Refugees who are enrolled by the higher education institutions as guest or exchange students have the option of receiving benefits under SGB II (basic income support for jobseekers, which, according to the current regulation, is in principle also open to refugees from Ukraine).

Support offered by German universities

On our website, Ukrainian citizens can also find various support offers at German universities and from partner organisations. We recommend that you seek advice on locally available offers when contacting your target university.

DAAD Scholarship Database

Information on the DAAD scholarship programme can be found in the DAAD Scholarship Database. Please read the programme description thoroughly to familiarise yourself with the application modalities. Applications can be submitted digitally by clicking on the green Submit Application button.

If you have any queries, please use the contact details provided under the Contact and Advice tab in the scholarship database.

You will also find information on scholarship programmes of other organisations there. If you have questions about their programmes, please contact the respective organisation directly.

You can also find a general overview of funding opportunities on the DAAD website.