Education is of central importance to the integration of refugees. More than half of the refugees currently arriving in Germany are under 25 years of age. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research in cooperation with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will support those refugees who are willing to study and possess necessary qualifications. The ministry has made approximately EUR 100 million available during the next four years for the integration of refugees into the German higher education system, with EUR 27 million already available in 2016.    

• Recognising potential – reinforcing “TestAS”, a BMBF-funded assessment test for foreign students, and “uni-assist e.V.”, a service provider established by the DAAD and the German Rectors’ Conference to support international student applicants and to review applications from refugees; 
• Ensuring academic qualification - This measure aims to prepare young refugees for the rigours of university study by providing language instruction and subject-based preparation through foundation courses and similar programmes at German universities. The German federal government has agreed to finance an additional 10 000 places in the coming four years, accompanied by a corresponding DAAD scholarship programme; and
• Supporting integration - A new DAAD programme titled “Welcome – Students Helping Refugees” will grant funding to self-managed projects by student groups, as well as students, employed in their university’s advising and integration programmes for academically qualified refugees, e.g. with tutorials, translations and language courses.