I'm from Singapore and my application for Phd study has been accepted by a university in Germany. However, I was told that there is no funding for me from the department. Unfortunately, I'm over 32 years old and I am not eligible for DAAD funding and scholarship. I am lost as I am not sure to accept the project without funding or try to apply for another funding. Is the chance of getting funding high for 'overage' student like me in Germany? Please please shed some light for my path in the dark now.....

Hallo Himbeere,
unfortunatelly I don't see much of a chance for you to get funding in Germany. Have you tried to get some funding in your home country?
I am not sure whether you speak German but all the information is in German but this is a link for general scholarships http://www.doktoranden-netz.de/Finanzierung/finanzierung.html#Promotionsstipendien
Depending on your area there might be others; however, the general age is under 28. Not a fair rule necessarily (especially as it is nearly impossible in Germany to be finished with your first degree by then)

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As the funding situation is rearly bad you normally work while doing your PhD. The most common situation is that you get a position as a research assistant in your department or bars, restaurants, everything what brings money. your problem might be that you won't have a working permission and I would check on this. The side effect of course is that a PhD in Germany takes much longer 5 years seem to be normal. I cannot think of anything else but congratulations anyway Good luck

well, I did guess that the situation might bad. The DAAD scholarship application from Singapore imposes age limit. My Deutsch is quite 'limited'. so, it is extremely tedious for me to translate every website and the links. I feel that sourcing for funding could be harder than doing the project itself!! I was told that I could complete the project in 3 years. Maybe less time is required as I had done my Master degree? May I know which field are you in? I was hoping that I could have some luck from Germany Foundations. Most probably, cutting down expenses and maybe working part time seem to be worth some serious considerations for the time being. I will think & think & think first .... looking forward to your continuous support. Vielen vielen Dank!

heya,
having a master's degree will not make it shorter, since in Germany everybody who starts a PhD has a masters (or equivalent).
and yes i suppose it is possible to do it in three year, full time! if you have a job on the side it will be much harder.
i would not head to germany without having the funding sorted out, unless you have a lot of savings and don't mind spending them.
depending on your field, you could look at private foundations. there are some international ones where it doesn't matter where you are from or where you will study. apart from that, sorry to say, it doesn't look good...

Many thanks for the good pointers! I have a better idea now. What do you mean by private foundations? Private International foundations in Germany / from other countries around the world? Any recommendation for private foundations in the field related to public health? please bear in mind that i'm over age .....

Hi, I assume that with private funding bodies you mean something like Schering-Stiftung, Shani?
Himbeere, I checked the details for some private funding bodies for medzine and they all have their age limit at 27/28. As Shani said, the MSc does not help as this is a minimum requirement for doing a PhD. The problem with working of course will be that you might no know enough German do get a job.

Most jobs will be bar work etc and without sufficient knowledge you won't get it. Did you ask your potential supervisor for a job as a research assistant? I think this is your best bet. (and yes, they always say you will be finished in 3 yrs but I know only one person who actually did and she had a full scholarship, lived with her parents and did nothing but her PhD AND no publications, conferences etc)
Good luck

hm i don't know the schering. i just know there are some private foundations that are interested in research in specific topics. you'd have to search topic-related. (there is for example the switzerland based but internationally active cogito foundation that will fund projects which aim to bridge the gap between sciences and social sciences; that kind of things)
there is also the IFUW international federation of university women which might be an option if you're a woman, and the IFUW has national member federations which also sometimes provide funding. or the wenner gren foundation which will generously fund fieldwork in anthropology. that kind of stuff.
but i agree with oz, try first and foremost to get a job as a research assistant!

okie! I will speak to the department regarding the possibility of working as a research assistant. Hopefully the funding problem could be solved then. Hope to update you all with good news later on : )

I honestly think himbeere should give it a go folks. Nothin can limit us at this stage in our lives to succeed what we mostly desire and as fellow PHD support him, rather than been so negative. Negative energy is exhaustive and uneccessary folks. Be grateful for the success of other and ur blessings will be multipled.

Hi I have stayed in Germany for the past three years as I came to do my masters here on a DAAD scholarship. Im not saying anything against Germany but to be honest u shud think twice before coming here. Firstly there are not many good universities here and secondly infact more importantly its not an English speaking country so its quite problamatic infact gets frustrating at times. I wud suggest that you look into other countries perhaps UK, USA , Canada, Australia or Newzealand. And getting funding here for PhD is not impossible but very difficult and considering that you are over age makes it more difficult. Im sorry im not trying to make u feed bad but its the reality. Choice of going to another country wud be much better...u will realise it sooner or later!!!

what about learning German? Three years seem to be a good time to pick up the basics and to be honest don't start critising German universities as the research stations are very good (and (I know I won't win any friends with this) I think working on a project as a research assistant leaves you with more knowledge then some of the English systems where I have to learn how to use Power Point - anybody any questions how to colour a box??? )

in case anyone is interested... i agree with you, oz!

the only disadvantage i see in the german system is that due to being engaged in multiple research projects as research assistant, you tend to take a long time to finish your PhD.

and there is the pay issue. research assistant's pay is very low, regarding that it is often in practice a 100% job. that is why i decided not to go to germany but rather to the uk. the irony being that now i am not paid at all (i still live in hope)

Thanks for agreeing made me feel better. I was actually paid quite well as a research assistant (€1000/month) which is more then enough thinking that my flat was only €350 inclusive - rather than having a cuboard in a shared flat for £500 here... but I agree it is nice to know that you have to finish within 4 years rather than working for 8 years not knowing whether you are ever going to finish.