DAAD Scholarship for Higher Education

Within the framework of the German Language Month, Goethe-Institut hosted an information meeting with DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) aiming at giving information to those who wish to acquire higher education in Germany. GEORGIA TODAY met Dr. Martin Praxenthaler, the head of DAAD, to discuss the program and eligibility for gaining the scholarship.

What standards should a student meet in order to obtain the DAAD scholarship?

First of all, an applicant should know in what language they want to study – in German or English. As a rule, there is a greater choice in English Master's programs. It is necessary that a student know both languages at B1 level. The second prerequisite is to hold a secondary school diploma, though in order for the diploma to be recognized in Germany, the applicant must pass through a one-year foundation course at preparatory college, after which s/he will be able to enroll in a university in Germany. Alternatively, s/he must cover one academic year here in Georgia and then continue studying in a Bachelor’s program, but from the beginning. To be accepted for the Master’s program the applicant must hold a higher education diploma from an accredited university.

What are the main areas financed by the DAAD scholarship?

The most popular applied-for program is the Master’s program. The scholarship for the program sees the greatest success and lasts from one to two years. In this case an applicant is free to choose either German or English language programs. Study is available in anything from humanities to law and medicine. In addition, PhDs and teachers’ programs are available in German and English languages.

We also offer a scholarship for the Arts, which is an exception to the Georgian reality.

What is required from an artist to apply for such a scholarship?

The first precondition is that the artists come to us and submit documents as well as recordings. The recordings must be done to the highest quality and the potential beneficiary must have already connected with professors in Germany. After this they can contact us. Additionally, the applicants must have a Bachelor's degree or be a fourth-year student or graduate.

In short, they do everything on their own and come to us for financial support.

What are the deadlines for application submission?

The documents should be submitted a year in advance because it takes about 6 months to process applications. The deadline is the end of October while for researchers it continues until November 15th.

An applicant sends documents to us, then the Commission arrives from Germany and selects a contingent, after which 130 up to 250 students remain for the next level. The Commission’s decision goes to Germany and the scholarships come from Bonn.

Further to this scholarship, studying in Germany can be achieved independently. Germany is the only country with a strong economy in the European Union which offers study free of charge. So I urge everyone not to miss such a great opportunity because this is the only such country offering the best education for free.

Our aim is to make parents believe they should give an education to their children- be it German education or even in the English language- but in Germany.

Are there information centers which help students to prepare documents or look for universities?

We do not see the need for such centers because we are here. We think that if a student is not able to look for a university independently and collect all the documents him/herself, then s/he will have difficulties studying abroad. The pre-going process is a kind of test that every student must pass. They should be organized before going and know every detail necessary.

What does the scholarship cover?

The graduate scholarship consists of EUR 750 Euro but we expect it will go up to EUR 850 next year. This covers living costs and is calculated absolutely accurately, being enough to rent an apartment in Germany. If you decide to rent in a large city, DAAD can add to this amount. The scholarship also covers expenses if you are together with your spouse and/or child. What’s more, if you apply for English courses then DAAD offers a scholarship to also learn German.