The Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarship for (Under-)Graduate and PhD

The Heinrich Böll Foundation is part of the Green political movement that has developed worldwide as a response to the traditional politics of socialism, liberalism, and conservatism. Our main tenets are ecology and sustainability, democracy and human rights, self-determination and justice. We place particular emphasis on gender democracy, meaning social emancipation and equal rights for women and men. We are also committed to equal rights for cultural and ethnic minorities and to the societal and political participation of immigrants. Finally, we promote non-violence and proactive peace policies.

Who is Eligible?

A) German and foreign studentsThe Heinrich Böll Foundation awards scholarships to German and foreign students in keeping with the guidelines provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA).

The maintenance scholarships which are awarded to German citizens, EU citizens and students who have gained their university entrance qualifications from a German school will be calculated on the same basis as BAföG, depending on your parent's income and/or your own income and personal assets. Irrespective of this, an independent book grant of 80 € per month will be awarded to all successful applicants.

The following requirements apply to German citizens, EU citizens and students who have gained their university entrance qualifications from a German school:

You must be enrolled at a state-recognized university or college (e.g. Fachhochschule) in Germany at the time the scholarship payments begin. The foundation also grants scholarships for Master degree courses in other EU countries.

• Earliest application date: if you intend to enrol for a Bachelor or Masters degree, for a Diploma, Magister or State Examination, you can apply for a scholarship before your studies begin, but the earliest date for receiving payment will be the beginning of the first semester. We advise you to make your application in time for the start of your studies.
• Latest application date: within the prescribed maximum period of study you should still have at least four semesters before your final examinations, so that the foundation can support you for at least three semesters.

The following requirements apply to foreign applicants (except EU citizens) who wish to study in Germany:

• 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 we kindly ask you to provide proof of your proficiency.
• Unfortunately, the current guidelines specify that we can not support foreign scholarship holders for stays abroad in third countries for more than four weeks.

The following requirements apply to all German and non-German students wishing to pursue a Masters degree or post-graduate studies:

• 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.
• Tuition fees for fee-paying courses in Germany cannot be financed by the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

B) German and foreign students for doctoral studies (PhD)The Heinrich Böll Foundation awards scholarships to German and foreign doctoral students in keeping with the guidelines provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA).

If you are applying for a doctoral scholarship you must have either qualified at a state or state-recognized college or university in Germany for admission to doctoral studies, or you must have gained a degree at a foreign university and been accepted for doctoral studies by a college or university in Germany. If you are a foreign student, you must have a good knowledge of German, for which we require proof.

How to apply:for (under-)graduatesfor (under-)graduates
download application sheet (PDF)
download cover letter (PDF) in German

for PhD students
download application sheet (PDF)
download cover letter (PDF) in German
Scholarship DepartmentPostal addressHeinrich-Böll-StiftungStudienwerk, Schumannstr. 810117, BerlinE-mail: studienwerk@boell.de, Fax: 030/285 34-409

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