What’s the biggest issue for Nepali students when planning to study at a university abroad? Most of us would say, gaining a scholarship. Foreign studies is quite expensive, and so most of us need a huge scholarship to pursue our dream of higher education in some college abroad.

But what if we didn’t have to pay university tuition fee at all? What if we could study in a foreign university and not have to worry about the costs of our education? Well, in Germany, many universities charge no tuition fee.

Andriya Arsalan, Consul at the German Embassy in Kathmandu, elaborates. “Since most universities in Germany are state-funded, they have nominal or no tuition fee at all.”

Studying in Germany itself is a scholarship!
Some German universities, however, do charge tuition fee; but the amount is very low compared to other countries. The charge for completing a semester will usually cost about 500 Euros.

Apart from the low costs of education, this European country has many more things to offer to international students. Currently, there are some 145,000 international students studying in Germany. After the US and Japan, Germany stands third in the world for the most technologically powerful economy. And not to mention, it’s a beautiful country. It lies in the heart of Europe, and so you can be in London, Paris, or Rome in no time.

Prequalification tests
Most German universities expect TOFEL or IELTS for an International Degree Program. Some universities might ask for GMAT or GRE as well. Generally, there are no assessment tests for admission. Students are selected on the basis of the documents they provide.

Manju Dhamala Thapa, Director of Humboldt Educational Consultancy and a German language instructor, advises students to take up German language course before they apply to universities in Germany.

“If you know the language, it’ll be easier for you because all the free Universities are public universities. But many of them have courses in English, too,” she says.

Money matters
Tuition fees in most German universities, as said above, is none or nominal. There will, however, be other expenses – like food and lodging. The costs of a Nepali student will generally come to around Rs. 56,000 to Rs. 64,000 a month.

Also DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst), also known as German Academic Exchange Service – a joint organization of German institutions of higher education and student bodies – provides certain scholarship for accepted students’ residence and living expenses. Also, transportation is free of cost in Germany for students. So there’s no need to spend money getting in and around Germany!

Financial proof for visa
For a student from Nepal, a proof of funding is required. On an average, a student will have to show a balance of approximately Rs. 560,000 to Rs. 640,000.

Jobs
A student visa will not allow one to take up a fulltime job. An international student in Germany is allowed to work upto four hours a day, but not more than 180 half-days per year. You’re allowed to work both on and off campus.

How to get a visa
To study in Germany, you need a student visa, which can take you around two months to obtain. The visa is initially granted for three months. It’ll be extended by the Foreigners’ Registration Office for a year at a time until you complete your studies.

Staying in Germany after completing studies
A university graduate can remain for a year in the country to look for a job. A residence permit issued for the purpose of studying can, after a job has been found, be converted into a residence permit for taking up gainful employment. The residence permit, which enables you to take up a job, may be issued for up to five years.

source: Sharma, Sahara(2011),"Studying in Germany", republica, 21 June 2010