Bavarian State Ministry of Sciences, Research and the Arts - Bavarian State Ministry of Sciences, Research and the Arts: Bavarian Higher Education Institution Scholarships for Foreigners

Bavarian scholarship for international students

You will receive up to 650 EUR per month for up to 10 months. The funding comes from the Free State of Bavaria. Each university awards the grants itself via its International Office (for example, LMU Munich). If you earn between 695 and 1,345 euros per month, the grant will be reduced proportionally. If you earn 1,345 euros or more, you will receive nothing.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or PhD student at a state university in Bavaria and are not taking part in an exchange or short-term programme.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Nationality: Open to international students. You obtained your school-leaving certificate (and, where applicable, your first higher education qualification) outside Germany, not at a German school abroad.
• Study stage: You must be in at least the third semester of a Bachelor’s, State Examination, teacher training or PhD programme, or in the first semester or later of a Master’s programme.
• Grades: You have achieved good to very good results.
• Financial need: You can prove that you need the money. You are not eligible for state student finance (BAföG) or other financial support, and you do not earn more than 695 EUR per month during the scholarship period.
• Residence: You live in Germany.
• Previous funding: You have received funding for a total of no more than 30 months and have been awarded no more than three annual scholarships.
• Other scholarships: You cannot receive another scholarship at the same time.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted in writing to the International Office at your Bavarian university. You will usually need two letters of recommendation from lecturers at your university. At LMU Munich, the application window for 2025/2026 runs from 15. January to 8 March 2026. A selection committee makes its decision once a year and notifies applicants by email towards the end of May or early June.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is aimed exclusively at international students who are already enrolled at a Bavarian state university, are successfully continuing their studies, and can demonstrate genuine financial hardship. The target group is therefore significantly smaller than for open scholarships. If you clearly meet the requirements regarding stage of study, academic results and financial hardship, and can provide two strong references, your chances are good. Applying early with a complete set of documents is also an advantage.