StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The International Talent Development programme of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) — officially funded by the German Federal Foreign Office — is one of Germany’s established foundation scholarships for international students and doctoral candidates at German universities (including universities of applied sciences, HAW/FH). It combines a generous monthly stipend with a full development programme of seminars, mentoring and an international alumni network.
The honesty note: the queue source framed this as "2026" — that cycle’s deadline (15 July 2026) has passed. The programme runs annually, and the next domestic deadline is 15 July 2027, 12:00 noon CET. Applicants from abroad follow a separate route through KAS foreign offices.
What the scholarship pays
Figures confirmed on the official KAS page and in the DAAD scholarship database:
- Up to €992/month for bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate students (standard funding period 2 years).
- Up to €1,400/month for doctoral candidates (standard funding period 3 years; full admission to a German doctoral programme required).
- Health insurance up to €120/month on request.
- Family allowance €276/month (spouse in Germany for more than 3 months); child allowance €250 per child.
- Research-travel grants abroad (conference visits excluded).
- Tuition-fee reimbursement up to €750/semester in exceptional cases. Enrolment/re-registration and semester fees are not covered.
Non-financial benefits: a seminar programme, personal mentoring, local university groups, an international alumni network of over 3,000, and specialized research colleges for doctoral students.
Eligibility
From the official KAS page:
- Status: international students and doctoral candidates enrolled at German universities — primarily non-EU applicants.
- German language: minimum B2 (Goethe-Institut certificate, DSH or TestDaF) — seminars run in German.
- Master’s applicants: must intend to enrol in a four-semester master’s programme.
- Bachelor’s applicants: at least two semesters of a bachelor’s programme at a German university completed.
- Doctoral applicants: full admission to a PhD programme at a German university.
- Minimum funding period: 4 semesters.
- Exclusions: human medicine, dentistry (state-exam programmes), medical specializations; programmes of only 3 semesters (e.g. some LL.M.); no postdoctoral funding and no bridge/follow-up funding.
- Values: academic excellence plus social/voluntary engagement and alignment with democratic values.
- Age: no age limit.
Documents you will need
The definitive checklist is the German-language "Notes on Applying for the International Scholarship Program" and Guidelines documents linked on the official KAS page. The general requirements include:
- Completed online application (via the KAS Campus Portal for the domestic route).
- CV and motivation letter.
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates.
- German language certificate (B2 or higher).
- Recommendation letters.
Because the full official checklist sits in the German "Notes" document, treat the English FAQ as indicative and work from the official document for your final submission.
How to apply
- Choose your route: if you are already in Germany, apply through the domestic selection procedure; if abroad, contact the KAS foreign office responsible for your home country/region (only selected offices run the procedure each year).
- Read the official "Notes on Applying" document — it is the binding checklist, in German.
- Secure your German B2 certificate early if you do not have one — it is a hard requirement, not a nice-to-have.
- Prepare the Campus Portal upload (domestic route): application form, CV, motivation letter, transcripts, language certificate, recommendations.
- Submit before 15 July 2027, 12:00 noon CET (domestic). Office-abroad deadlines are set per office — ask your KAS office.
- For portal problems: campus.fachadmin@kas.de; general questions: stipendium-if@kas.de.
FAQs
The German Federal Foreign Office, via the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung — one of Germany’s official political-foundation scholarship programmes.
Up to €992/month for bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate students (2 years) and up to €1,400/month for doctoral candidates (3 years), plus health, family, child and research-travel allowances.
No age limit — but the study-level requirements (e.g. full PhD admission for doctoral funding) apply.
Yes: minimum B2, because the seminar and mentoring programme runs in German.
Yes — via a participating KAS foreign office in your country/region. Only selected offices run the procedure each year, so check with yours.
Medicine, dentistry and state-exam programmes; 3-semester programmes; postdoctoral research; bridge or follow-up funding. Enrolment and semester fees are also excluded.
Verified 18 Oct 2026 against the official KAS page (kas.de/en/web/begabtenfoerderung-und-kultur/international-talent-development: €992/€1,400 monthly figures; allowance details; B2 requirement; exclusions; annual 15 July deadline at 12:00 noon CET; Campus Portal and foreign-office routes; contact emails) and corroborated by the DAAD scholarship database (detail 10000108). Written for the 2027 intake (2026 cycle closed 15 July 2026). Document checklist explicitly attributed to the official German "Notes" document, not invented from aggregators.
