Students and researchers with disabilities or chronic illnesses often have many questions regarding how to go about studying abroad or planning a research visit. The DAAD can help them find the right answers.

As the world’s largest funding organisation dedicated to international academic exchange, the DAAD encourages students and researchers with disabilities or chronic illnesses to spend part of their academic programmes abroad, improve their foreign language skills and cultivate international contacts.

To ensure that disabled or chronically ill scholarship recipients are allowed equal access to study and research opportunities abroad, the DAAD can cover additional costs upon request which result from the disability or chronic illness and are not covered by other funding providers. The DAAD individually assesses and determines the amount of these additional costs upon request. These provisions apply to both individual funding programmes and project funding programmes at the DAAD.

Application through regular funding programmes

The DAAD does not offer special scholarships to disabled or chronically ill students or researchers. Like everyone else, they have to apply to one of the regular funding programmes offered by the DAAD. Applications are reviewed by a selection committee which awards the scholarships based on professional criteria, one of the most important of which is the candidate’s academic qualification.

Visit our scholarship database for more information about the scholarship programmes offered by the DAAD along with the respective application requirements, deadlines, procedures and other important information.

NEW: Chancen.Digital: Stipendien für ein digitales Masterstudium im Ausland

If personal circumstances do not allow a stay abroad in presence, the programme "Chancen.Digital: Stipendien für ein digitales Masterstudium im Ausland" (Opportunities.Digital: Scholarships for Digital Master Studies Abroad), launched in May 2023, offers the possibility of a digital study project.

Applications are open to students and graduates from Germany who want to obtain a first master's degree in a subject area and country of their choice. In addition to a scholarship in Germany, the program offers travel allowances and accommodation allowances for any attendance phases abroad. Further information can be found in the scholarship database.

Do you have any questions or require further advising?

The following offices and organisations can help you plan a term of study abroad with a disability or chronic illness:

• The International Office at your university is the first place to go for questions regarding academic mobility.
• If you have questions about DAAD scholarships and funding programmes, please contact us via: inclusion at daad.de.
• At almost every German university and Studentenwerk organisation, there are academic advisors who provide on-site advising services to current and prospective students who have disabilities or chronic illnesses. Visit the website of the German Studentenwerk to find an advisor to help you.
• Student councils sometimes offer consultation or have committees which specialise in issues related to disabilities or chronic illnesses. They can also answer your questions and provide help with any problems you encounter.