Are there fully funded scholarships available that waive living expenses in UK/Germany for a Master's/PhD?
Yes, fully funded options covering both tuition and living costs exist in both countries. In the UK, Gates Cambridge pays a maintenance allowance of about £22,050 for 12 months, while in Germany, DAAD pays roughly €992 monthly for Master's students and €1,300 to €1,500 for PhD candidates, alongside health insurance.
If you want a scholarship that covers your living expenses and not just tuition, both the UK and Germany offer real routes, though your odds differ by degree level. Competition for these awards is genuinely fierce in both countries.
Top Scholarships Covering Tuition and Living Costs
| Scholarship | Country | Living Cost Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Gates Cambridge Scholarship | UK | Maintenance allowance of about £22,050 for 12 months, plus airfares and visa costs |
| Commonwealth Scholarships | UK | Monthly living stipend plus airfare |
| DAAD Scholarships | Germany | About €992 monthly for Master's, €1,300 to €1,500 for PhD, plus health insurance |
| Max Planck Schools / IMPRS | Germany | Net stipends of about €1,700 to €2,300 monthly, plus health and social benefits |
Why the Two Countries Work Differently
In the UK, fully funded Master's options stay rarer and often restricted to elite schemes, while most STEM PhDs get automatic funding through UKRI councils. In Germany, public university tuition is already low or free, so a German PhD position is frequently structured as an employment contract that fully covers your living costs and social security rather than a traditional scholarship.
My Advice
If you are set on a Master's, prioritize elite schemes like Gates Cambridge or Chevening in the UK, and if you are open to a PhD, look at German research assistant positions or DAAD grants, since PhD level full funding is far more common in both countries.
Which German scholarships can you actually get?
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