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 Education and Research (BMBF) and the Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt).
The Heinrich Böll Foundation grants scholarships to approximately 1500 undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students of all subjects and nationalities per year, who are pursuing their degree at universities, universities of applied sciences (‘Fachhochschulen’), or universities of the arts (‘Kunst-/Musikhochschulen’).
We expect our scholarship recipients to have excellent academic records, to be socially and politically engaged, and to have an active interest in the basic values of the foundation: ecology and sustainability, democracy and human rights, self determination and justice.
Requirements
- You must be enrolled at a state-recognized university or college (e.g. Fachhochschule) in Germany at the time the scholarship payments begin.
- You should provide proof that you have already graduated with an initial professional qualification. This programme mainly supports students aiming for a Masters degree.
- You need a good knowledge of German, and require you provide proof of your proficiency. Please note that the selection workshop (interviews, group discussions) will normally be in German. Exceptions (interview in English) are, however, possible.
- Unfortunately, the current guidelines specify that the foundation cannot support foreign scholarship holders for stays abroad in third countries for more than four weeks.
- You should definitely apply for a scholarship before the start of your studies, in order to ensure long-term support and cooperation.
- The Heinrich Böll Foundation cannot award you a scholarship, if you are studying for a one-year Masters degree and were not previously supported by the foundation.
- Applications are possible before you begin your study programme or within the first three semesters.
- Applicants must provide proof that they have been accepted as a doctoral student by an institution of higher education in Germany or an EU country (for doctoral scholarship).
Selection 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.
The key criteria for assessing written applications and admission to the next stage of the procedure are:
- Very good school or college/university academic record
- Social commitment and political interest
- Convincing reasons for applying to the Heinrich Böll Foundation
- German language proficiency (DSH 2 or Level B 2)
NB: If you have already attended stage 3 and received a letter of rejection you may not re-apply.
Application Documents
A complete set of application documents needs to be uploaded to the web portal as pdf versions of the following documents; only if all documents are received by the deadline, the application is considered complete.
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)
Please inform your referee that for the expert reference he or she needs to use the form provided. It can be downloaded from the website at https://www.boell.de/en/application.
Method of Application
Click Here to Application
Please note: We accept only online applications
- Gather information on the application process and the requested documents
- Register for the online application portal
- Provide the requested information in the Online Application Portal
- After uploading all of your documents, submit your application before the end of the application deadline
For more Information,
Visit the Official Webpage
Application Deadline: September 1, 2024.
