Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships

What the scholarship covers

• €934 monthly for master's students
• €1,350 monthly plus allowance for doctoral students
• Health insurance contribution
• Seminars and a strong political-education network

Eligibility requirements

• Excellent academic record
• Social and political engagement, evidenced not asserted
• Commitment to the foundation's values
• Admission or application to a German higher-education institution
• German language skills for most subjects

Documents you will need

• Online application on the foundation portal
• Curriculum vitae with evidence of engagement
• Letter of motivation
• Two references, one academic and one on civic activity
• Transcripts and certificates

How to apply, step by step

1. 1

   Read the foundation's values carefully

   This award funds people already active in ecology, democracy or human rights. Alignment is the main criterion.

2. 2

   Gather evidence of engagement

   Volunteering, activism, organising, published writing. Claims without evidence do not survive review.

3. 3

   Secure a German university place

   You need at least an application in progress at a German institution.

4. 4

   Write the motivation letter

   Connect what you have already done to what you intend to study and do next.

5. 5

   Submit by the March deadline

   There are two calls a year, in March and September.

When to do what

Counting backwards from the deadline. Applications rushed in the final fortnight are the ones that fail.

1. 16 weeks before

   Read the foundation's published values and current focus areas.

2. 13 weeks before

   Assemble evidence of your civic or political engagement.

3. 10 weeks before

   Progress your German university application.

4. 8 weeks before

   Draft the motivation letter around your track record.

5. 5 weeks before

   Approach both referees with full context.

6. 2 weeks before

   Submit on the foundation portal.

What the panel is actually looking for

• Demonstrated social or political engagement
• Academic excellence
• Alignment with the foundation's values
• Clarity about what you intend to do next

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating this as a general merit award; values alignment decides it.
• Claiming engagement without dates, roles or outcomes.
• Applying with no German university application under way.
• Missing that German is required for most non-English programmes.

Fields of study

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