What scholarships are there for a master's or doctorate?

DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Germany's largest scholarship organisation. It has many programmes for master's and doctoral studies; master's scholarships are usually over €900 a month, and doctoral scholarships are higher. Some DAAD programmes are only open to people not yet living in Germany or who graduated within a certain time; read the requirements carefully.

Deutschlandstipendium: €300 a month for at least one year. Half comes from private sponsors and half from the state. There are no nationality or income requirements; achievement and social engagement are assessed. You apply to the university where you're enrolled or will enrol; dates vary by university.

Scholarship foundations (Begabtenförderungswerke): There are 13 state-funded foundations; some are close to political parties, churches, trade unions or business. You don't need to be a party member; they look for achievement and social engagement. International students enrolled in Germany can apply to some of them too.

University and doctoral scholarships: Many universities have their own scholarships and completion grants (for the final months of a thesis). For doctorates, a paid research position at the university is also very common instead of a scholarship.

Where to start: Search DAAD's scholarship database by your field and situation. Also check the university's international office and scholarships page.

For your residence permit: To count as proof of financial means for a student permit, a scholarship must cover at least €992 a month. You can top up a smaller scholarship another way, for example with a blocked account.