Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships for International Master's and PhD Students

• Master's (non-EU, Federal Foreign Office funding): EUR 992 per month base scholarship.
• PhD (non-EU): EUR 1,500 per month.
• Health insurance allowance: up to EUR 100 per month for Master's, up to EUR 200 per month for PhD.
• Optional, depending on circumstances: tuition reimbursement in Germany up to EUR 10,000 per year, tuition for German language courses, fixed fringe benefit of EUR 38 per month, family and child allowances.
• Parts of the degree can be done abroad if academically necessary, with no extra funding.
• Additional income is offset against the scholarship.

Two rounds a year, with the portal open from 15 January to 1 March and from 15 July to 1 September. Current announced round: portal opens 15 January 2027 and closes 1 March 2027 (spring); the autumn 2027 round runs 15 July to 1 September 2027. The three-stage process takes about 4-5 months. Funding starts with the winter term (March applicants) or the summer semester (September applicants).

1. Register on the online application portal; postal applications are not accepted. Keep your user name, as it cannot be changed or resent.
2. Fill in the PDF application form (current Adobe Acrobat Reader) and upload documents as PDF or JPEG, each no larger than 5 MB.
3. Have your expert report sent by email from the expert's own address to [email protected], or upload a signed scan.
4. Submit the application. A confirmation email follows.
5. Stage 1: formal check by the scholarship department. Stage 2: interview with an academic advisor (Vertrauensdozent/in), in person or online.
6. Stage 3: online interview with 3-4 selection committee members.

• School-leaving certificate (university entrance qualification) and Bachelor's or intermediate diploma where applicable.
• Expert report on the official template from a professor or PhD-level researcher (for PhD candidates, the supervisor plus a second report).
• "Reference social commitment" template documenting civic engagement.
• German language certificate (B2 or DSH II).
• Certificate of enrolment or admission, due by stage 3.
• Foreign documents with certified translation combined with the original in one file; grades converted with the Modified Bavarian Formula.
• PhD: exposé with the abstract in German (the exposé may be in English).

• Three stages: formal review, interview with an academic advisor, online interview with 3-4 committee members including external members and a current scholar.
• Criteria: academic achievement, civic engagement, political interest. Applicants should generally meet all three; care work or employment that limited engagement can be explained.

Contact: [email protected], +49 30 285 34-400 (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10:00-13:00).