Scholarships to study in Germany

The VDAC offers a 10-month scholarship of € 800 per month, combined with placement at a German university and assistance in arranging student housing. Our local clubs and our alumni look after the American students hosted in each city and assist them in navigating the bureaucracy, setting up a bank account, and getting settled. In addition to this, the VDAC organizes weekend seminars around Germany at which past and present exchange students from Germany and the US meet, share their experiences, and are given an in-depth look at the region’s history and culture.

Applicants must be enrolled at one of our partnering institutions in the United States. As our exchange is cultural as well as educational in nature, it is intended for US citizens. Students may be at the undergraduate or graduate level. In some cases, doctoral students may be placed as well. We welcome all majors, though applicants must note that certain specific fields of study may not have an equivalent course offering in Germany. Students should ideally be under the age of 28 (exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis). Although it is possible to be placed at a university where courses are offered in English, the more German you speak, the more you will benefit from the exchange.

We welcome all majors, though applicants must note that certain specific fields of study may not have an equivalent course offering in Germany. Some fields of study are also subject to restricted enrollment (Numerus clausus) at German universities. As an exchange student, you will not be considered degree-seeking by your host university, and will thus be able to take courses outside the major you are enrolled in. Attending courses that are in extraordinary demand will require the permission of the professor or the department.

This varies considerably from one university to the next. Some offer a variety of courses in English, enabling participation in the program with a basic knowledge of German, while most require proof of advanced language skills. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) defines levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2 from beginner to native speaker according to set criteria. You will profit most from the program if your German is B1 or above. It is also possible to attend a month-long language course for international students prior to your first semester in Germany.

Yes. Spending several months far from home is a big step that necessarily involves some uncertainty and a lot of planning, so coming for just one semester may be right for you. It’s important to note that the German and American semesters occur in different calendar months. Instead of a fall and spring semester, Germany has a winter semester (early October – end of February) and a summer semester (early April – end of July). Students have often bridged the gap by taking on a job in the vacant months.
It does take time to get settled in and adjust to new surroundings and a different culture. For this reason, we definitely recommend coming for two semesters if at all possible.

We invite you to rank your top three choices and will attempt to accommodate your preference, should you be accepted. Certain factors, such as competing applications and local sources of funding, may, however, compel us to place you in a different city.

This is usually possible, as long as it is a public university and we have sufficient advance notice. Some students wish to enroll in a specific program at a specific institution, and we are happy to assist where possible. Our organization does intend for you to be looked after by one of our clubs, so the university you choose should ideally be located near one of them.

To be enrolled at a German university, you must have a high-school diploma and have completed three full semesters of study at a university. An American bachelor’s degree is usually accepted as its equivalent in Germany. To apply for the scholarship, you must submit three letters of recommendation. Two of these should attest to your academic ability and be from instructors familiar with your work at your university or in college-level courses in high school. The third recommendation is a character reference and should be from an employer, the head of a volunteer organization, sports team, religious organization, or the like. As a cultural organization, we place extraordinary value on hosting exchange students who are responsible, broad-minded individuals. This is more important to us than your grade-point average.

You must be recommended to the VDAC by the German Department and/or the International Office of your university in the United States, and this university must be one of our partnering institutions. Approach your German professors or the International Office in January so that a completed application may be submitted during February for an academic year abroad, or consult in September/October and submit by November if applying to spend the summer semester in Germany.

The German Department or International Office at your home university will give you our application form. We require a curriculum vitae in German and English, a statement of purpose in German and English, three letters of recommendation, an assessment of your level of German from an official source, current transcripts including courses not yet completed, a copy of your high-school diploma and high-school transcripts, and a note from your doctor indicating that you are physically and psychologically capable of handling a year (or a semester) abroad. Two of the letters of recommendation should attest to your academic ability and be from instructors familiar with your work at your university or in college-level courses in high school. The third recommendation is a character reference and should be from an employer, the head of a volunteer organization, sports team, religious organization, or the like. As a cultural organization, we place extraordinary value on hosting exchange students who are responsible, broad-minded individuals. This is more important to us than your grade-point average. You must also sign an agreement in which you consent to the basic conditions of the scholarship.

We require a note from your doctor indicating that you are physically and psychologically capable of handling a year (or a semester) abroad. Minor health issues need not deter you from applying to the program, and we also welcome students with disabilities. As we go to significant financial and logistical effort to make the exchange possible, we expect that you will participate for the time frame you have committed to. This can be very challenging for students with complex medical or mental-health conditions. In such cases, our clubs can help you to find the care that you need.

The scholarship is intended to cover all of your monthly and day-to-day expenses while in Germany (rent, food, transportation, university fees, communications). However, there are some additional costs, including a number of expenses up front, such as your flight, room deposit, residence permit, and also things like winter clothing if you come from a warm climate, that you will have to cover yourself. The student housing is furnished and the clubs usually provide bedsheets, blankets, dishware, and cutlery if the university does not.
Within 90 days of arrival in Germany, you must obtain a residence permit, and to do this you must demonstrate that you avail of sufficient funds. The VDAC scholarship is enough to live on, but falls about € 150 per month short of the amount you are required to have. The authorities will accept a bank statement showing a sufficient amount in your account or that of your parents.
Public universities in Germany are taxpayer-funded and generally do not charge tuition, except in the state of Baden-Württemberg. If your host university in Germany charges tuition, the VDAC will cover it for you in addition to your scholarship.
Please note: Most of our partnering institutions in the US require that you stay enrolled with them and continue to pay tuition to them while you are abroad, as you will be transferring credit back. In some cases, this is reduced to in-state tuition. Talk to your International Office to find out the exact conditions at your university.

The VDAC’s Student Exchange Committee will aim to notify you by e-mail by the end of the spring semester, usually in April or early May (or by the end of the fall semester if you are applying for the spring), as to whether you have been accepted and as to the city in which we intend to place you if you have been accepted. Delays do sometimes arise, so no communication does not mean you have not been accepted. You will then be put in touch with our local club, which will make initial arrangements with your host university. As the next step, you will be asked to upload an application for enrollment and an application for student housing to portals run by the university. The host university has the final say over whether you will be allowed to study there.

As a US citizen, you are automatically part of the bilateral visa waiver program, which entitles you to enter Germany without a visa and stay for 90 days within a 180-day period. Instead of a visa, which is applied for abroad, you will need a residence permit, which is applied for locally once you are in Germany and have a German address.

Yes. To attend a German university, you must have health insurance. While it is often possible to have US insurance recognized in Germany if it is provided by a big-name company, any medical incident would require an out-of-pocket expense on your part, with a subsequent reimbursement. Student health insurance in Germany is inexpensive and covers checkups, injuries, and unexpected hospitalization without co-pay. Prescription medicines, along with vision and dental work, are covered in part.
The VDAC additionally requires you to take out liability insurance, which can be had for a few euros a month. Your local club will assist you with this.

It depends. One reason to study abroad is to take courses that your home university doesn’t offer. Even if the courses seem identical, their curricula may not be. You will need to examine the online course catalogue at your German university and coordinate closely with both the German Department and the International Office at your home university before the start of each semester in Germany in order to obtain assurances from them that your coursework can be transferred back. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) also does not match up exactly with the credit system at US universities.
Some of our US universities have bilateral agreements with German universities that enable them to recognize each other’s courses without conditions. Check your home university’s website for partnerships with institutions in Germany if you need to be absolutely certain of transferring credit back.
Please also remember that it will be challenging to take courses in a foreign environment and a foreign language, so that you may not be able to take as many courses as you’re used to taking. You will also want to have a certain amount of free time to make friends and explore your host city.

The purpose of the VDAC is to promote German-American relations, particularly on an individual level. Beyond this, we have no political or ideological bent. We therefore expect you to be a good representative of your country, to act maturely, responsibly, and with an open mind. While on the program, you must take enough courses to be enrolled. We expect you to stay in close contact with your local club and the VDAC at all times, and to attend major club events and the weekend seminars we stage for our German and American exchange students. We look forward to receiving a written report about your cultural and academic experiences at the close of each semester.