Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships in Germany

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The Heinrich Böll Foundation (Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung) is the political foundation associated with Germany’s Green party. Its Scholarship Department funds master’s and PhD students at German universities, including up to 100 international students and doctoral candidates a year, mainly from countries on the OECD’s DAC list of aid recipients. South Africa is on that list. The foundation gives priority to DAC applicants who have not yet moved to Germany when they apply, and says it particularly welcomes those still in their home country. Scholarships for non-EU international students are paid from German Federal Foreign Office funds.

The 1 March and 1 September deadlines

The foundation runs two selection rounds a year, each with an online application window that closes on a fixed date:

The deadline is the closing date of the portal, not the start of the programme. Selection takes four to five months from the deadline. Funding usually starts with the German winter semester (around October) for a 1 March application, or the summer semester (around April) for a 1 September application; PhD funding can start somewhat earlier. The foundation also notes that from 1 March 2027 it will accept master’s applications only for “first-cycle programs”, without defining the term on its application page, so check with the Scholarship Department if your master’s is not your first postgraduate degree.

Monthly amounts for non-EU scholars

German language course fees and family and child allowances may be added depending on personal circumstances. Other income is offset against the scholarship, and the programmes are not compatible with full-time work. The foundation also rules out “double dipping”: any other scholarship for the same purpose must stop before this one starts. Beyond the money, scholars take part in the foundation’s event programme and alumni network.

German at B2 level, even for English-taught degrees

This is the requirement most likely to rule out South African applicants. Every international applicant must prove German proficiency at level B2 (or the equivalent DSH certificate) with the application, and this applies even when the degree in Germany is taught in English. Application documents are expected in German. References, expert reports and translations of certificates may be in English, and a PhD exposé may be in English, but its abstract must be in German. The final selection interview is generally conducted in German.

Grades, politics and civic engagement

The foundation sets no minimum mark and no age limit. It expects very good academic results, but it weighs them together with social commitment and political interest, and it looks for applicants who support its causes: democracy and human rights, ecology and sustainability, gender equality and anti-discrimination, and the arts and culture. International scholars from DAC countries are expected to promote good relations between their home country and Germany. Party membership is not required. A PhD on a “green” topic does not automatically help, though the foundation welcomes topics that match its focus areas.

Master’s or PhD, and what each must show

• Master’s applicants must hold a first degree completed outside Germany and apply before starting a full-time master’s at a state-recognised German university. Only programmes with a standard length of at least four semesters are funded; part-time study is excluded.
• PhD applicants must hold a graduate degree completed outside Germany, have a research topic, an exposé and a supervisor, and have applied for or obtained admission to a German PhD programme. Post-docs and second PhDs are not funded.

Proof of enrolment or admission may follow later, but no later than the stage-three interview.

Three selection stages

1. An online application through the foundation’s portal, which opens about six weeks before each deadline. It includes the PDF application form (completed in Adobe Acrobat Reader), an expert report on the foundation’s own template, a reference on your civic engagement, your school-leaving certificate and certified translations of foreign degrees. Files must be PDF or JPEG and no larger than 5 MB each. Postal applications are not accepted.
2. An interview with an academic advisor, in person or online.
3. An online interview with three or four selection committee members.

The full requirements are in the foundation’s information sheet for international students and its sheet for PhD candidates; application details are on the Applying for a scholarship page. Another German political foundation with a South African programme is covered on our KAS-SAIIA scholarship page. More options are listed under postgraduate bursaries.

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