DAAD Scholarships for African Students: Eligibility, Deadlines & Honest Odds

Which DAAD programmes are open to African students?

DAAD runs multiple scholarship programmes. The most relevant for sub-Saharan African and North African graduates are:

EPOS — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses
This is the main full-funding DAAD route for applicants from developing countries. It covers Master’s programmes (and some Doctoral programmes) in fields that Germany’s development cooperation considers priorities: public health, agriculture, environmental science, sustainable urban development, engineering for development, governance, economics and similar areas. Zimbabwe’s confirmed eligibility on the DAAD DAC/OECD list is an example of how this works — the country qualifies by being classified as a development-cooperation partner. All eight WSA origins fall into this category.

Deutschlandstipendium
A merit-based scholarship of €300 per month, co-funded by German companies and the federal government, awarded by individual German universities. This is not a DAAD-administered application process — students apply directly to the German university they are enrolled at. It is supplementary income, not a full-funding award.

DAAD Scholarship Database
Beyond EPOS and Deutschlandstipendium, DAAD administers or aggregates dozens of other programme-specific scholarships at daad.de/en. Some are field-specific, institution-specific or level-specific. Searching the database by your country and study level is the most reliable way to find what is currently open.

What does the DAAD EPOS scholarship cover?

The EPOS award for eligible African Master’s students includes:

• Monthly stipend: approximately €992/month for graduates (Master’s level), as of June 2026. Recheck at daad.de before applying — rates are reviewed periodically.
• PhD stipend: approximately €1,300–1,400/month from February 2026 (updated rate).
• Health insurance: statutory German student health insurance is covered.
• Travel allowance: an international travel subsidy is included.
• Study and research allowance: a contribution to study materials and research costs.
• Visa fee waiver: the standard German student national visa fee of €75 is waived for DAAD scholarship holders.

The combination of stipend and covered living costs means that Germany can be one of the more affordable Western European study destinations for DAAD scholarship holders, because public university tuition in Germany is €0 (with a semester administration contribution of approximately €100–400 at most institutions, and an average of around €250 per semester).

What are the costs if you do not receive DAAD funding?

If you study in Germany without a scholarship, you fund your own living costs. The German government requires students to show proof of funds via a blocked account (Sperrkonto) holding €11,904 per year (€992 per month) as of June 2026 — the same figure as the DAAD stipend, reflecting the BAföG-derived cost-of-living standard.

The self-funded route in Germany is more affordable than the UK or Ireland because of the €0 tuition policy at most public universities. But you still need to demonstrate the full blocked-account amount upfront. The DAAD scholarship removes both the blocked-account requirement and the visa fee.

Who is eligible for DAAD EPOS?

Core eligibility for EPOS typically includes:

• A completed undergraduate degree in a relevant field (you need your Bachelor’s degree before you apply in most cases, though some programmes accept final-year applicants)
• Good academic results — what “good” means depends on the programme, but DAAD is competitive
• Some programmes require up to two years of relevant professional or research experience
• The proposed study must have a clear connection to a development-related priority area
• You must intend to return to your home country after completing the scholarship

The EPOS database lists specific courses and their individual requirements. Some programmes have field-specific criteria; others are more open. Check the course-level requirements at daad.de before preparing your application.

When are the deadlines?

This is the most important practical point about DAAD EPOS: there is no single annual deadline. Each participating EPOS course sets its own application deadline, typically between October and January for the following academic year — but some courses close earlier and a few have mid-year deadlines.

The process to follow:

1. Search the DAAD scholarship database at daad.de/en filtered by your country, study level and field.
2. Identify courses where Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana or your specific origin is listed as eligible.
3. Note each course’s individual deadline — these vary by weeks or months.
4. Apply directly to that course’s German host institution according to their process.

Because of this course-specific structure, planning at least twelve months ahead of your intended start date is advisable. Some highly competitive EPOS courses close applications as early as September for the following October entry.

What about APS, English requirements and uni-assist?

APS: Not required for any of the eight WSA African origins. Germany’s Akademische Prüfstelle only applies to China, India, Vietnam and Mongolia. African applicants submit their certificates through uni-assist (or directly to the university if it does not use uni-assist).

English or German? EPOS courses are largely taught in English or German. Check the medium of instruction for each course you apply to. For English-taught courses, a minimum IELTS or equivalent is usually required (typically 6.0–6.5). For German-taught courses, B2 German is the standard requirement.

Credential evaluation: The anabin database (anabin.kmk.org) is the German reference for whether your degree grants direct admission or requires a Studienkolleg preparatory year. For postgraduate DAAD applications, your undergraduate degree assessment through uni-assist is the standard route.

What makes a strong DAAD application?

DAAD EPOS is explicitly a development scholarship — the selection committees are looking for applicants whose study topic is tied to a real development challenge in their home country. Applications that look like generic postgraduate degree applications, without a development dimension, are at a disadvantage.

Strong applications typically: identify a specific development problem in the home country; show relevant academic or professional background; propose study that will equip the applicant to address that problem; and demonstrate a credible plan to use the knowledge after returning home.

Academic grades matter, but DAAD is not purely academic — contextual factors (your country’s development priorities, your field’s alignment with DAAD focus areas) are part of the assessment.

How World Study helps

We support Zimbabwean, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Kenyan and other African students with German university applications and can advise on which EPOS courses are available in your field and how to frame a strong development-focused motivation letter. Admissions support is free — we earn a commission from partner institutions. We do not charge for scholarship application advice.

Run your eligibility check or chat with our team on WhatsApp.

Full DAAD programme information at /scholarships/daad/.