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Financing & Legal issues

How do I finance a doctorate? What else do I need to know?
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Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)

Financing your doctoral degree is closely related to the type of doctorate you have decided on. The most common forms of financing a doctorate are: as an academic employee, via a doctorate scholarship, by being accepted into a structured doctorate programme or by doing an extra-occupational doctorate. In addition to ensuring your financial subsistence, you may be eligible for certain additional subsidies, such as grants to help you complete your degree, or subsidies towards printing costs, travel expenses or seminar costs.

If you have general questions regarding your doctorate or your personal financing strategy, feel free to arrange an appointment at the Welcome and Service Desk.

The type of financing that you opt for will have consequences on your insurance status. For instance, holders of a grant must arrange their own health insurance. Irrespective of the type of financing, some of the costs arising from your doctorate are tax-deductible.

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