But what if your savings are not enough? Which financing options are there for international students, and for which of them are you eligible? Here are several options to secure your income in Germany:

Applying for a scholarship is possibly the best known way to gain financial support as a student. Scholarships are granted e. g. by many funding organisations, as well as politically-affiliated foundations, religious institutions or business-related organisations.

When it comes to international exchange, the German Academic Exchange Service ("Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst", or "DAAD" for short) is one of the most important German institutions. Here, German and international students and scientists on most levels of academic qualification can apply for financial support in many different funding programmes.

The DAAD offers an extensive scholarship database, which you can use to search the funding programmes of the DAAD and many other funding organisations to find a scholarship that suits your needs and requirements:

DAAD Scholarship Database

Important scholarship providers besides the DAAD are the 13 Stipendium Plus organisations ("Begabtenförderungswerke" – unfortunately, the overview is currently only available in German) for the promotion of young talent, or the Deutschlandstipendium, for which you can apply at most universities in Lower Saxony.

Even so, do not let this deter you from applying for a scholarship, since scholarships offer you financial security and allow you to focus on your studies while you are in Lower Saxony. Ideally, you should secure a scholarship before coming to Germany.

You should also find out if there are any scholarships or other funding measures in your home country for which you are eligible!

A part-time job alongside your studies can be a good opportunity to earn some extra income. However, it is very unlikely that you will be able to cover all your expenses by jobbing. 

You should consider that spending a lot of time on a side job will extend the duration of your studies considerably – especially if you are working a job that is not related to your study subjects. If working is really necessary for financing your studies, you should try to work during the semester breaks, provided that this is compatible with the exam or internship phases of your studies.

Also, there are legal regulations in Germany which prescribe how many hours you are allowed to work as a student (last updated: March 2024). The amount is determined by your country of origin and your student status:
 

However, there is one exception: Working as a student assistant or academic assistant ("Hiwi") at university is always allowed, provided that you do not work for more than 20 hours a week, as specified in the Lower Saxony University Regulations (§ 33 NHG).  

Student assistants work e. g. in libraries, teach tutorials, or assist professors and research projects in their (research) tasks. These jobs are usually very compatible with your studies and can even benefit your course work – but as a consequence, they are also very popular among students. 

For more detailed information on student jobs, visit the German National Association for Student Affairs ("Deutsches Studentenwerk") or the DAAD, or ask your university's International Office. They can also give you tips on how to get a job. 

FYI: There are also special legal regulations for (mandatory) internships as part of your studies! For general information regarding internships, please visit the DAAD website, or contact the German Employment Agency for details.

If there really is no way around a loan, please seek advice already in your home country (e. g. from a student guidance institution at a university, or from a bank), and make sure to choose a serious provider to avoid overpriced interest rates.

European students can also take out Master Degree Loans through Erasmus+ at favourable conditions. These loans are intended to finance a complete Master's degree abroad. However, since the programme is still in its early stages, it is currently only available in a few countries.

For students from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia or Türkiye, there are special exchange programmes – such as Erasmus+. With this programme, the European Commission promotes e. g. the exchange of students in Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD-programmes, as well as international internships.

In other words, you may participate several times, and can get funding for up to 36 months, provided that you go abroad as a Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD-student. Furthermore, the funding period per study cycle can be split, so that you can e. g. study abroad for six months and do an international internship for another six months, all while in your Master’s degree programme.

For more information regarding the various programmes and the application procedure, please visit the website of your home country's National Agency, or ask the International Office of your home university.