THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
How does Germany help international students in the Corona crisis?
As from June 2020, international students can apply for an interest-free loan from the state development bank KfW and receive a maximum of 650 euros a month from July 2020 up to and including March 2021. You can check out the conditions on the KfW website. In addition, students in financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic will soon be able to apply for grants of up to 500 euros a month via their local student unions.
What will be the next steps for international exchange students?
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is currently working on a bridging fund for international students and is compiling information on support in the Corona crisis on its website. Scholarships can be extended in justified individual cases. Participants in the European Erasmus+ exchange programme can keep their grants, even if the Corona crisis means they have to take online courses in their home country. University, college or vocational training graduates who have to postpone their planned work placement abroad can take up the placement within 18 months after graduation.
How are individual universities helping?
In addition to nationwide support, universities in Germany are finding other ways to help their German and international students. Hamburg’s universities and colleges are offering an interest-free loan of 400 euros for June via the city’s student union. The Technische Universität Dresden has set up a Corona relief fund to which students can turn if they lose a part-time job or childcare services, as well as in other emergency situations caused by the pandemic.
