The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has announced the discontinuation of 13 scholarship and university internationalisation programmes due to high-cost pressures, leading to the cancellation of approximately 2,500 scholarships annually.   

DAAD President Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee has cited “sharply rising costs in personnel, IT, and rent as major financial challenges.” Additionally, while scholarship rates for international students in Germany have risen by 34% over the past decade, these increases have not been offset. To ensure financial sustainability, DAAD’s priority is given to programmes with a wide reach that appeal to a broad international target group.    

As part of this consolidation, DAAD is discontinuing 13 programmes that were previously funded by the Federal Foreign Office. Scholarship programmes such as Graduate School Scholarship Programme, research stays for foreign academics and programmes to promote the internationalisation of German universities and other programmes e.g., Future Ukraine, STIBET special funding for Ukraine will be discontinued. A complete list of affected programmes can be found here.    

Despite these cuts, funding from the German government and the EU remains stable. The Erasmus+ programme will provide €255 million in 2025, contributing nearly a third of the DAAD’s total budget. DAAD President Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee expressed hope that the next German government will reinforce its commitment for international academic exchange. With 405,000 international students and 75,000 academics currently in Germany, he emphasised the importance of maintaining and expanding Germany’s strong position in global higher education despite economic challenges.   

Read more in DAAD’s press release.