How to Finance a PhD By Grit Thümmel

Students completing a traditional doctorate with a supervisor will often have to raise the necessary funds themselves. In this case, a teaching appointment in the form of academic collaboration at the university will often provide part of a doctoral candidate's income. Another option is financing via a scholarship. Important: the supervisor must already have accepted the student and the thesis project must be definite when applying. The supervisor can then put the doctoral candidate forward for a grant, for example from the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes), which pays its grantees approximately 1,000 euros a month for two or at most three years. Generally, doctoral candidates in Germany have the advantage that they do not have to pay tuition fees.

Germany's foundation landscape

Candidates can also apply for a scholarship themselves. Depending on the subject, there are numerous foundations in Germany that award individual grants. For example, the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt) sponsors young scientists (up to the age of 28) and their research in the field of environmental protection with 1,000 euros a month for three years. Church foundations such as the German Protestant church's Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst or the Catholic Bischöfliche Studienförderung (Cusanuswerk) support doctoral candidates who are particularly committed to social causes; both foundations however require applicants to be members of the respective denomination. Foundations associated with political parties offer young researchers grants for socio-political dissertation projects. However, funding periods vary significantly between three and 36 months, and age limits often restrict eligibility. A tip: Most grants can be supplemented with a number of allowances and subsidies, for example for families with children, for research expeditions or material expenses. Applicants from abroad should be aware that proof of German language skills (DSH or TestDaF) is required for many of the individual scholarships. The advantage of these foundation scholarships: in addition to financial support, many also offer extra-curricular support. Joint leisure activities and help with everyday issues can make it easier particularly for foreign students in Germany to acclimatise.

Working alongside a doctorate

In addition to scholarships or academic employment, doctoral candidates of course also have the option of financing their living costs with a side job. In Germany, this requires a residence title that permits the holder to work. Doctoral candidates from third countries that do not enjoy free movement of labour within the EU must apply for the appropriate visa from the German embassy or consulate responsible for their place of residence before entering the country. Students who want to earn a little extra money with a side job during their doctorate although they have a scholarship should do so only to a limited extent, otherwise they may find their grant is reduced.

Financing in structured programmes

For students taking a doctoral degree course or attending a graduate school, financing is a different matter. Candidates interested in one of the structured programmes should include an application for funding when applying for the graduate programme; if they are accepted to the programme, funding is then already secured.