The Heinrich Böll Foundation awards scholarships to international students who come to Germany to study. The programme is being implemented in accordance with the guidelines issued by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt). You will find details of special focus programmes on our website at https://www.boell.de/en/scholarships.
Table of Content
Summary
- Application DeadlineSeptember 1, 2025
- Study LevelMasters , Undergraduate
- SponsorHeinrich Böll Stiftung
- City to studyBerlin
- Eligible CountryAll Countries
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Benefits
For EU nationals/Students not educated in Germany:
- Varies, like the German BAföG, according to parental income or own assets or earnings: max. €855 plus €300 study costs allowance per month; possibly plus family, childcare allowance, health insurance or similar.
- Additional funding available for scholarship-holders only
For Non-EU nationals/ Students1 not educated in Germany:
- €992 per month plus various individual allowances, possibly health insurance or similar
- For scholarship-holders only: Funding is available for limited periods spent abroad for purpose of study.
Note: Scholarship is for regular period of study, may be extended by one semester.
Requirements
- Requirements for EU nationals/Students not educated in Germany:
- Master’s degree or after intermediate diploma/ examination; copy of the first degree certificate / proof of first professional qualification must be provided
- Requirements for Non-EU nationals/ Students1 not educated in Germany:
- Master’s degree or after intermediate diploma/ examination; copy of the first degree certificate / proof of first professional qualification must be provided
- Refugees can apply regardless of their asylum status.
- Refugees who wish to start or continue a bachelor’s or master’s degree (or diploma or state examination course) in Germany can apply anytime, regardless of their semester of study.
Timing: Application must be received before the start of the Master's program.
Interview Dates and Process
The Heinrich Böll Foundation’s selection procedure for scholarship applicants consists of three stages:
- Stage 1: Submission of written application documents, including a personal reference on your social commitment and an expert reference from a university lecturer or, in the case of new students - a schoolteacher via an online portal www.boell.de/scholarships. Two staff members from the Studienwerk and from another department of the Heinrich Böll Foundation decide whether the application will be forwarded to the second stage.
- Stage 2: An interview with a liaison lecturer, usually at the place of residence of the liaison lecturer in Germany, by telephone or digitally.
- Stage 3: Digital interview with 3 to 4 selection committee members, including 1 to 2 external members, one scholarship holder and one staff member of the Studienwerk. At each stage only a small group is selected for the next stage. You will be informed in writing of the decision reached at each stage of the selection procedure.
At each stage only a small group is selected for the next stage. You will be informed in writing of the decision reached at each stage of the selection procedure.
Application Documents
Application Form A1-2 (in German, PDF)
- The document’s template is available from our website and from the download center of the application portal https://www.boell.de/de/stipendium-studium. Please enter the following data online into the pdf form.
- Your personal data and CV
- Your motivation for are applying to the Heinrich Böll Foundation
- An outline of your motivation for studying your chosen subject and of your main areas of interest
- An outline of your social commitments and political interests et al.
University entrance qualification
- A copy of your Abitur, baccalaureate or university entrance qualification
- If required, a German or English translation by a certified translator
Certified copy of your first degree certificate
- Certified copy of the degree certificate, with German or English translation if required, along with an explanation of the grading if it differs from the German system (cf Modifizierte Bayerische Formel on the Internet)
Student enrolment certificate (“Immatrikulationsbescheinigung”):
- must be submitted with application or submitted at the latest by the time of the selection interview. If not possible, please informe us when you can expect to receive your certificate of enrolment.
For international applicants: Written proof of German language proficiency
- Minimum requirement: „Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang“ DSH 1 or Level B 2
- The proof ist absolutely necessary.
For applicants for the programme Medienvielfalt anders: Junge Migrantinnen und Migranten in den Journalismus: Some Work samples
- The work samples should document your initial experience of media work gained at a school or students’ magazine, for example, in local radio or with an agency. Proof of publication (or broadcasting) of the samples is needed.
A third-party reference on your social commitment (please use the form provided):
- This should be a confirmation and detailed description of your social commitment by a person of your choice who knows you well and is able to assess your previous and current commitment. This person should be neither a friend nor a member of your family. Wherever possible, he or she should be a representative of an institution or an organisation. Internship testimonials are not suitable for this purpose. Foreign applicants from conflict areas or similar who are unable to provide a reference must explain why.
- Please inform your reference writer to use the provided form (Form Reference on Social Commitment A1-4b (Ref)). The reference should contain the following information:
- A description of your social commitment, especially in areas in which you have actively assumed responsibility. The reference should state exactly what you have done or achieved to date, assessing in particular aspects of your commitment that are not sufficiently apparent from your CV or your statement of motivation.
- A personal assessment of your specific concerns and which particular causes you support
- An assessment of your ability to reflect on political affairs and an appraisal of your personality
- The context in which the referee made your acquaintance and how long he or she has known you.
You can upload the reference to the application portal. The reference must include the author’s contact details (full name, institution/organization, email address phone number, etc.) at the top and must be signed. Alternatively the reference writer may email the personal reference directly to the Heinrich Böll Foundation. A signature is not required if the reference is emailed directly by the author from his*her email account.
Please ensure that only ONE submission method is used: either upload it in the application portal, have the author send it via email at [email protected], or send it by post with the original signature.
Please note: The personal reference (VII) and the expert reference (VIII) must come from different persons.
- An expert report from a university or college lecturer (please use the form provided):
- The expert report is an academic reference written by a university lecturer should give details of the study programme you propose to enter, your study interests and your academic record to date. International applicants should whenever possible, submit an expert reference by a university lecturer at the university in Germany where they would like to study or at least, if possible, from the same study programme at another university.
- Please inform your reference wirter that for the expert reference he or she needs to use the form provided (Form Expert report A1-3b (PDF))
- The expert reference should preferably be sent directly to the scholarship department of the Heinrich Böll Foundation by the referee by email. If the reference is sent directly via email from the author’s email address, the signature is not required.The email address of the scholarship department is [email protected].
- If the expert reference is in your possession, please submit it directly with your application documents and upload it to the application portal yourself. The reference must include the author’s contact details (full name, institution/organization, phone number, etc.) at the top and must be signed. Please ensure that only ONE submission method is used: either upload it in the application portal, have the author send it via email at [email protected], or send it by post with the original signature.
- Please note: The personal reference and the expert reference must come from different persons.
Refugees are requested to enclose a document providing information on their residence permit (asylum status).
Please use Adobe Acrobat Reader to fill in the form
Application Deadline
September 1, 2025How To Apply
Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to
Heinrich Böll Stiftung on stipendium.boell.de to apply
Please look at our FAQ-Page.
Contact:
For more information,kindly visit Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung scholarship webpage.
