TU Munich Scholarships for International Students 2026/27: TUM Awards, Waivers & DAAD Routes

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) changed German higher education in the winter semester 2024/25. It became the first major German public university in Bavaria to charge tuition fees to newly enrolling students from outside the EU and EEA — and, at the same time, it built a system of waiver scholarships, exemptions, waivers and its own study grants designed to make sure that talent, not only family income, decides who can study there. If you are an international student planning to start at TUM in 2026/27, scholarships are therefore not a side topic. They are part of the admission decision itself: the difference between a waiver scholarship and no waiver can be €8,000 to €12,000 over a single year of a master’s degree.

This guide explains, in plain language and only with figures published by TUM, DAAD and the federal Deutschlandstipendium programme, how funding at TUM actually works. You will learn what tuition you will really pay, which TUM awards exist, how the TUM Scholarship for International Students works, what a waiver scholarship covers, when the Deutschlandstipendium opens, and how external routes — above all DAAD — fit on top. Start with our full Technical University of Munich profile for international students, which covers rankings, programmes and admissions in depth, and browse the wider StudyGraduate scholarships directory alongside this article.

TU Munich Scholarships at a Glance

Two warnings belong at the top of any honest TUM funding guide. First, none of these awards is automatic. TUM states clearly that every application for a waiver scholarship, exemption or waiver is reviewed individually and approval is not granted automatically, and that scholarships, exemptions and waivers are credited toward your tuition fees rather than paid out to your bank account. Second, Munich is expensive. Even a full tuition waiver does not pay your rent. Your visa finances — the blocked account of €11,904 for 2026 — and your monthly living budget must be planned separately from tuition.

Tuition Context: What TUM Actually Charges Non-EU Students

Under the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act, TUM has charged tuition to international students from third countries — meaning countries outside the EU and EEA — since the winter semester 2024/25. TUM’s own tuition page, which is the only source you should budget from, puts the usual amounts as follows: for bachelor’s programmes, usually €2,000 or €3,000 per semester; for master’s programmes, usually €4,000 or €6,000 per semester. The word “usually” matters. The exact amount is set per degree programme, and TUM tells you to find your figure on your chosen programme’s page under “Program details.” Two master’s programmes in different schools can sit in different bands, and over a two-year degree the difference between the €4,000 and €6,000 bands is €8,000.

TUM has also already announced the next increase. For the winter semester 2027/28, tuition for students from non-EU/EEA countries will rise to €2,300 or €3,400 per semester for bachelor’s programmes and €4,600 or €6,800 per semester for master’s programmes. There is an important protection built in: students who were already enrolled in a previous semester keep the rate that applied at the start of their studies until they complete that programme. Starting in winter 2026/27 therefore locks in the current, lower bands for the whole of your degree — one more reason why the 2026/27 cycle matters financially, not just academically.

Who does not pay? According to TUM, you are generally not required to pay tuition if you are from an EU/EEA country or an equivalent state; if you were already enrolled at TUM before winter semester 2024/25 and continue in the same programme; if you are pursuing a doctoral degree, an exchange or visiting programme, or the Studienkolleg preparatory programme; or if you are in a state examination or another non-degree programme. Attending a Studienkolleg, TUM notes, does not exempt you from tuition in a subsequent bachelor’s programme. On top of tuition, all students pay a semester fee, which varies by campus location. Doctoral candidates should note the strategic consequence: a TUM doctorate carries no tuition charge of this kind at all, which is one reason structured doctoral positions and DAAD doctoral funding are so competitive.

Finally, TUM is transparent about where the money goes: tuition income is used primarily to improve study conditions — developing teaching, expanding advising and support services, and improving student infrastructure. That does not make the bill smaller, but it explains why the university pairs the charge with a comparatively developed waiver system, and why waiver scholarships are described by TUM as part of the socially responsible implementation of the fees.

Funding Route 1: The TUM Scholarship for International Students

The scholarship most international students at TUM will actually apply for is the Scholarship for International Students of TUM, funded through budget resources from the Bavarian government. TUM describes it as one-time financial aid of between €500 and €1,800 per semester. You can reapply every semester, and the maximum funding period is 36 months. Results for the summer semester are sent out by mid-July and for the winter semester by mid-December, according to TUM’s scholarship page.

Eligibility is narrower than many applicants expect, and it is worth reading carefully. You must be an international student who is not eligible for BAföG due to your nationality. You must already be enrolled at TUM — as of the third semester of a bachelor’s degree, or as of the second semester of a master’s degree (first semester of the master’s is enough if you completed your bachelor’s at TUM). Your thesis submission must not fall before the cut-offs TUM publishes — not before 30 June for the summer term and not before 31 December for the winter term. Selection combines merit, meaning good academic records, with proven need: your own low income and, where applicable, low parental income or a spouse’s low income, assessed along BAföG lines. Receipt of a tuition waiver or waiver scholarship counts as income in that assessment. During a leave of absence, the scholarship is not paid.

For winter semester 2026/27, TUM published an application period of 1 to 15 October 2026 — a short, two-week window that punishes late preparation. The documents TUM asks you to prepare as PDFs include a motivational letter of 100 to 200 words in English or German explaining your financial status, a CV, your residence permit, your TUM grade report from TUMonline, two recommendations not older than one semester, proof of your own income over twelve months — bank statements for all accounts, with incoming payments explained directly on the statement — and proof of your parents’ income or, if applicable, your spouse’s income, also over twelve months and not older than one year. Documents that are not in German or English need a certified translation by a sworn translator with an official seal. Recommendations that arrive later must still respect the follow-up deadlines TUM lists, 15 November or 15 May. Only complete applications can be accepted — TUM says so explicitly.

Read those requirements again and notice what they imply about timing. This is a scholarship for students who are already inside the TUM system, with a German residence permit, a grade report and lecturers who know them. It is not an entrance scholarship you can secure from Dhaka, Delhi or Lagos before you arrive. Your first semester at TUM is therefore partly an audition: keep your grades strong, get to know your lecturers, keep your bank records orderly, and have your parents’ income documents translated before the October window opens, not during it.

Funding Route 2: Waiver Scholarships, Exemptions and Waivers

Because tuition is the new cost at TUM, the most valuable support is the support that removes tuition itself. TUM organises this into three distinct instruments, and confusing them is a common and costly mistake.

Waiver scholarships are for students liable for tuition who show either outstanding academic performance or financial need. TUM’s waiver scholarship guidelines describe two purposes: supporting persons with special talent, and supporting persons who would otherwise be prevented from commencing or continuing their studies at TUM for economic reasons because of the tuition requirement. The scholarship waives the programme-specific tuition fee — it is credited to your fee account, never paid out. The timing rules matter: under the guidelines, bachelor’s students become eligible for merit-based waiver scholarships in their second semester of enrolment, for support beginning in the third semester, while need-based routes can be relevant from the start of studies. Always read the current guidelines and the deadlines on TUM’s scholarships and waivers page, because application periods vary by option.

Exemptions are different: they apply where a defined case removes the obligation itself — TUM gives examples such as enrolment in a joint degree programme, a leave of absence, or an established domestic connection to Germany. If you have lived in Germany before, hold a German school-leaving qualification, or fall into another listed case, check the exemption list before you assume you must pay at all.

Waivers address special personal or social circumstances — TUM names examples such as caring for a child, supporting a family member in need of care, or financial hardship due to circumstances beyond your control. These are discretionary, evidence-based decisions. The quality and honesty of your documentation decides them far more than the eloquence of your letter.

For a practical comparison of the three Munich and Germany-wide routes, see our country guide to scholarships in Germany for international students, which puts TUM’s system in the national context.

Funding Route 3: Deutschlandstipendium at TUM

The Deutschlandstipendium is Germany’s national merit scholarship, and TUM is one of its biggest providers — the university says it awards around 800 Deutschlandstipendium scholarships each year. The amount is fixed nationally: €300 per month, of which €150 comes from the federal government and €150 from a private sponsor — a company, foundation, association, alumni or private individual. At TUM the sponsor link is part of the value: recipients also gain contact with industry and cooperation partners, which in Munich’s engineering economy can matter as much as the money.

Both bachelor’s and master’s students at TUM can apply, and so can school leavers who want to begin their studies at TUM in the coming semester. Doctoral candidates are excluded from the Deutschlandstipendium nationally. Selection is not grades alone: TUM emphasises your individual contribution — achievements, engagement and personal circumstances all count, and from winter semester 2026/27 TUM applies new minimum and continued-funding requirements, so read the current criteria on the TUM Deutschlandstipendium page before you apply. The funding duration follows your standard period of study, although it can be shorter in defined cases. For timing, TUM states that the next application period, for the 2027/28 funding year, will take place in summer 2027, with exact dates announced from spring 2027. In other words: if you start at TUM in winter 2026/27, your Deutschlandstipendium moment comes after your first two semesters — another reason to treat year one as the year you build the record this scholarship rewards.

Funding Route 4: DAAD and Foundation Scholarships

External funding is where a TUM budget can change completely, because DAAD awards pay living costs monthly rather than crediting tuition. The flagship is DAAD EPOS — development-related postgraduate courses. DAAD’s official programme page states monthly payments of €992 for graduates and €1,300 for doctoral candidates, rising to €1,400 for doctoral candidates beginning February 2026, plus payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance, a travel allowance unless travel is covered by another source, and, under certain circumstances, a monthly rent subsidy and an allowance for accompanying family members. Funding lasts 12 to 42 months depending on the programme.

EPOS is selective and specific. Candidates need an above-average first degree, usually a four-year bachelor’s in an appropriate subject, at least two years of professional experience, and development-related motivation — DAAD expects you to show how you will take on social responsibility and support processes of change after the scholarship. Crucially, EPOS only applies to courses on DAAD’s EPOS list. Not every TUM programme is an EPOS course, and the list changes. Check the DAAD scholarship database for your exact TUM programme before you build a plan around EPOS, and apply directly to the course, stating that you are applying for the DAAD scholarship, by the course’s own deadline.

Beyond EPOS, explore DAAD study scholarships for graduates in specific subject areas, DAAD research grants for doctoral candidates, and the German political and church foundations — organisations such as Friedrich Ebert, Heinrich Böll, Konrad Adenauer and others — which fund master’s and doctoral students who combine strong academics with social or political engagement. Foundation amounts, deadlines and German-language expectations differ by foundation and change by call, so treat any figure you see on third-party blogs with suspicion and verify on the foundation’s own site. Many foundations expect at least intermediate German, which is a practical argument for starting German early even if your TUM programme is taught entirely in English.

Eligibility: Who Can Realistically Fund a TUM Degree?

Put the routes together and a realistic TUM funding profile looks like this. You are a non-EU citizen newly enrolling in a bachelor’s or master’s programme, so tuition applies to you unless an exemption case fits. Before arrival, your realistic external options are DAAD (if your course and profile fit) and home-country or foundation funding; TUM’s own instruments mostly begin after enrolment. In semester one you establish your record. From semester two (master’s) or three (bachelor’s) you can apply for the TUM Scholarship for International Students if you can prove need and good grades. In parallel you pursue a waiver scholarship if tuition is your main barrier, and in summer 2027 you apply for the Deutschlandstipendium with a full year of TUM grades and engagement behind you. Throughout, you still need visa finances: a blocked account of €11,904 for 2026, or another form of proof the German authorities accept. Scholarships can support a visa application, but an unawarded scholarship you merely hope for cannot.

How to Apply: A Step-by-Step Plan

1. Find your exact tuition band first. Open your programme page on tum.de and note whether you are in the €2,000/€3,000 bachelor’s or €4,000/€6,000 master’s band for 2026/27. Budget from that figure, not from a blog range.
2. Check exemptions before anything else. Work through TUM’s tuition and scholarships-and-waivers pages: joint degree, ties to Germany, leave of absence and the other listed cases. If an exemption fits, it is worth more than any scholarship.
3. Apply for admission and keep your application number. TUM notes you will need your TUMonline application number (or, once enrolled, your student ID) for waiver-related applications.
4. Apply for DAAD in parallel, if eligible. For EPOS, apply directly to the listed course by its deadline and state clearly that you are applying for DAAD funding.
5. Secure visa finances independently. Open the blocked account (€11,904 for 2026) or prepare accepted alternative proof. Do not wait for scholarship results.
6. After enrolment, diarise the TUM Scholarship window. For winter 2026/27 it was 1–15 October 2026. Prepare the twelve months of bank statements, income proofs and translations during the summer, and ask two lecturers early for recommendations no older than one semester.
7. Build the Deutschlandstipendium file during year one. Grades, engagement and a sponsor-friendly profile; apply in the summer 2027 round for 2027/28.
8. Reapply and renew deliberately. The TUM Scholarship can be applied for again each semester, up to the 36-month maximum — put every window in your calendar on day one.

Required Documents Checklist

• Motivational letter explaining your financial status (100–200 words, English or German) for the TUM Scholarship
• CV or resume
• Residence permit copy
• TUM grade report downloaded from TUMonline
• Two recommendations, not older than one semester
• Your own income proof for twelve months: bank statements for all accounts, with incoming payments explained on the statement
• Parents’ income proof, or spouse’s income proof where applicable, twelve months, not older than one year
• Certified translations by a sworn translator for any document not in German or English
• Supporting contracts or notifications where relevant: work, internship, scholarship, loan or BAföG documents; children’s birth certificates where applicable
• For waiver scholarships and waivers: the specific evidence for your merit, need or personal circumstances, as the current TUM guidelines require

Deadlines and Timeline

Tips That Improve Your Chances

First, separate the two problems. Tuition is solved by exemptions, waiver scholarships and waivers; living costs are solved by DAAD, the Deutschlandstipendium, the TUM Scholarship, part-time student work within your residence permit limits, and your blocked account. Students who mix the two budgets make bad decisions in both. Second, make your financial file boring and complete: twelve full months of statements, every incoming payment explained, translations sworn and sealed. Committees fund files they can verify quickly. Third, invest in recommenders. Two fresh recommendations from lecturers who have actually taught you are a formal requirement for the TUM Scholarship and a competitive asset everywhere else. Fourth, engage visibly: tutoring, student initiatives, department volunteering — the Deutschlandstipendium and the foundations both reward contribution beyond grades. Fifth, learn German from month one. It widens foundation eligibility, improves your student-job options in Munich, and strengthens every “integration and motivation” assessment you will ever face in Germany.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming TUM is still tuition-free. For new non-EU bachelor’s and master’s entrants since 2024/25, it is not. Doctoral, exchange and EU/EEA students are in a different position — know which group you are in.
• Budgeting from the wrong band. €4,000 and €6,000 per semester are both “normal” for a master’s. Your programme page decides.
• Expecting waiver money in your bank account. Waiver scholarships, exemptions and waivers are credited against tuition, TUM states; they are not cash payouts.
• Missing the two-week TUM Scholarship window. 1–15 October 2026 for winter 2026/27, with documents that take weeks to assemble. Prepare in summer.
• Applying for the TUM Scholarship too early. Bachelor’s students need to be in at least semester three, master’s students in semester two (or semester one with a TUM bachelor’s). An ineligible application wastes the window.
• Treating EPOS as available for every TUM course. It is limited to listed development-related courses and experienced professionals. Verify your course in the DAAD database.
• Planning the visa around a hoped-for scholarship. The blocked account requirement — €11,904 in 2026 — must be met with real, accepted proof.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does TUM charge tuition to all international students?

No. TUM charges tuition mainly to newly enrolling bachelor’s and master’s students from non-EU/EEA countries. EU/EEA students, students who began before winter 2024/25 in the same programme, doctoral candidates, exchange and visiting students, Studienkolleg students and state examination students are generally not charged, according to TUM’s tuition page.

How much is TUM tuition for 2026/27?

Usually €2,000 or €3,000 per semester for bachelor’s programmes and €4,000 or €6,000 per semester for master’s programmes, as published by TUM. Your exact amount is on your programme page. From winter 2027/28, new entrants will pay €2,300/€3,400 (bachelor’s) or €4,600/€6,800 (master’s) per semester, while continuing students keep their starting rate.

What is the TUM Scholarship for International Students worth?

TUM publishes it as one-time financial aid of €500 to €1,800 per semester, funded by the Bavarian government. You can reapply each semester, up to a maximum funding period of 36 months. It requires good academic records and proven financial need, and you must already be enrolled — from semester three (bachelor’s) or semester two (master’s, or semester one if your bachelor’s was at TUM).

Can a waiver scholarship cover all of my TUM tuition?

A waiver scholarship waives the programme-specific tuition fee and is credited directly to your tuition account, based on outstanding achievement or financial need under TUM’s guidelines. It does not produce a cash payment, and approval is individual, never automatic.

How much is the Deutschlandstipendium at TUM?

€300 per month — €150 from the federal government and €150 from a private sponsor. TUM says it awards around 800 per year. Bachelor’s and master’s students and prospective first-semester students can apply; the next application period for 2027/28 is in summer 2027.

Can I get DAAD funding for a TUM master’s?

Possibly, but only through specific DAAD lines. EPOS ( €992 per month for graduates, plus insurance and travel elements) is limited to listed development-related courses and requires at least two years of professional experience and an above-average degree. Other DAAD study scholarships are subject-specific. Always check the DAAD scholarship database for your exact programme.

How much money do I need for the German student visa in 2026?

The standard blocked account figure for 2026 is €11,904 for one year. This is living-cost proof for the visa and is separate from TUM tuition, which you must also be able to pay.

Are doctoral students charged TUM tuition?

No — TUM lists doctoral degree students among those generally not required to pay this tuition. Doctoral funding at TUM more often comes through employment contracts, structured programmes or DAAD doctoral funding (EPOS doctoral rate €1,300 per month, €1,400 from February 2026 in current calls) than through tuition instruments.

Sources & Verification

• Technical University of Munich — Tuition Fees for Students from Non-EU Countries (tum.de): tuition bands, 2027/28 increase, who is exempt, and the €500–€1,800 TUM scholarship summary.
• Technical University of Munich — Scholarship for International Students of TUM (tum.de): amount, eligibility, winter 2026/27 application period 1–15 October 2026, and document list.
• Technical University of Munich — Scholarships and Waivers for International Students and Waiver Scholarship Guidelines (tum.de): waiver scholarship, exemption and waiver routes, credit-not-cash rule.
• Technical University of Munich — Deutschlandstipendium (tum.de): €300 per month, sponsor model, around 800 awards, summer 2027 next application period.
• DAAD — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) (daad.de): €992 per month graduates, €1,300 doctoral (€1,400 from February 2026), insurance, travel, duration and selection criteria.
• Deutschlandstipendium / DAAD scholarship database information: €300 per month, half federal and half private sponsor.

Disclaimer: Scholarship amounts, tuition bands, deadlines and eligibility rules change. The figures in this article were checked against the official sources listed above at the time of writing in October 2026. Always confirm deadlines and amounts on the official TUM and DAAD websites before applying. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency, and cannot promise admission, a scholarship or a visa.