How to cover expenses

How to Cover Expenses

What you need to know before applying to the ECE program:

The costs to be covered by each student are

  • at least 850 €/month for living (including rent, food, books etc.)
    • Rent: approximately 300 € - 450€
    • Food: varies depending on individual lifestyle
    • Books: approximately 50 € - 100 €
    • Social: varies depending on individual lifestyle
  • ~ 80 € health insurance/month
  • ~300 € semester fees/semester (may vary over time)

In case you cannot cover the costs of at least ~ 5,600 € per semester resulting from the list above you may find a scholarship opportunity here.

Possible ways to cover the required expenses:

The complete expenses of the program (including accomodation, study fees, food, health insurance, public transport etc.) for four semesters amount to about 23,500 EURO at least. Clearly, the exact sum depends on the individual way of living, price levels etc.

It is important that you are able to cover these expenses. German foreign authorities do not grant student visa without proof of sufficient financial means (cf. FAQs for "working and studying"). The proof may be provided by ONE of the following:

  • disclosure of parents income and assets OR
  • a binding declaration of the parents to the German consular representative or the corresponding office that they will pay the expenses of the student OR
  • the placement of a deposit in a frozen bank account in Germany OR
  • a proof of a scholarship (apply e.g. at the DAAD) OR
  • the annually renewed placement of a bank letter of guarantee with a bank in Germany.

Furthermore, you must show evidence that you have a health insurance to cover corresponding expenses in Germany.

ECE studies are very intensive, we strongly advise you NOT to take any jobs during the program. There is, however, a way to earn money, namely by finding a job as a so-called studying assistant in a lab where you typically work in a field related to projects within the ECE program. In principle, it is also possible to find work outside the university. With student visa you are permitted to work 120 full days or 240 half-days per year.

A limited number of partial scholarships is available for students in their Master thesis writing phase.