Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Scholarships in Germany

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, a German political foundation based in Berlin, funds international students through its Scholarship Department (Studienwerk). South Africans can apply, but only for study in Germany: a master’s degree at a German university, or a doctorate that is either registered at a German university or includes a research stay in Germany. The current round opened on 20 August 2026 and closes on 1 October 2026 at 23:59. Successful applicants start receiving funding in the German summer semester, from 1 April 2027.

The foundation selects on three things together: above-average academic results, social or political engagement that fits its aims, and German at B2 level or higher. Its English overview says it gives preference to women, people from non-academic or migrant families, people in financial need and people with disabilities whose achievements and commitment are comparable. Its German FAQ describes the educational programme as taking place within a left-wing worldview, so this scholarship is a poor fit for anyone who does not share that outlook.

The master’s scholarship for international students

This programme is paid for by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and is only for foreign nationals who are in Germany to study. According to the study scholarship page and the German FAQ, an applicant must:

• hold a completed bachelor’s degree and be enrolled, or at least admitted, in a master’s programme at a state or state-recognised German university;
• apply during the first master’s semester, because funding starts in the second (students already starting their second semester by 1 October must contact the Studienwerk first);
• not have been in Germany for more than 15 months at the time of applying, unless they did their bachelor’s there or came to prepare for university;
• prove German at B2 level even if the master’s is taught in English, because the foundation’s seminars are usually run in German. A current B1 certificate plus proof of enrolment in a running or soon-starting B2 course is accepted;
• plan to return home after finishing, as the English overview puts it.

A bachelor’s degree, a second master’s, part-time study and a change of subject during the master’s are all excluded. Someone who already holds a master’s degree cannot be funded. The foundation calls the international award a living-cost scholarship: it does not refund tuition fees, it can cover health and long-term care insurance subsidies, and holders may earn up to Germany’s mini-job limit within the 20-hour rule without losing any of the grant. The published pages do not give a monthly amount for international students.

Doctoral funding for up to three years

The doctoral scholarship is open in all disciplines except medicine, dentistry and veterinary science. There are two routes for a South African: admission to a doctorate at a German university, or admission at a university outside Germany plus a research stay in Germany supervised by a lecturer there. Funding lasts at most three years, and any earlier doctoral funding from another body is deducted from that period. The foundation does not fund the final completion phase of a doctorate only, and it does not allow the scholarship to be combined with other public funding.

An “offer” from a university does not count as admission; the foundation wants final confirmation. If your university will only admit you once you can prove funding, you may still apply with a letter from the university confirming this and a commitment from your main supervisor. The B2 German requirement applies even when the dissertation is written in English, and the 15-month limit on time already spent in Germany applies here too.

Documents the portal asks for

Every document is uploaded as a single PDF, and nothing can be added after you submit. The master’s checklist (in German, dated August 2026) includes a certificate of enrolment for winter semester 2026/27 showing your subject and semesters, or an admission letter; a CV in German or English; proof of engagement over at least the past 10 months, such as letters from an NGO, union, student body or political group; one reference from a lecturer, for which there is no template; your bachelor’s certificate with final mark, with an uncertified translation if it is not in German or English; an extract from the study regulations showing the standard duration; your passport; a German residence permit or visa; and the B2 language certificate. If the bachelor’s certificate has not yet been issued, a transcript and a university letter confirming completion will do, with the certificate due by 1 November 2026.

Doctoral applicants prove engagement over 18 months rather than 10, supply two references, and write a research proposal in a set format: a 5,000-character summary in German, an annotated table of contents, a longer exposé, about ten key references, and a 36-month work plan on the foundation’s template.

Converting South African marks with the Bavarian formula

The foundation asks applicants with foreign degrees to convert their marks to the German scale using the Bavarian formula: German grade = 1 + 3 × (best possible mark − your mark) ÷ (best possible mark − lowest pass mark). German grades run from 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (lowest pass). On a South African university scale where 100% is the best mark and 50% the lowest pass, a 75% average works out to 1 + 3 × 25 ÷ 50 = 2.5, and an 80% average to 2.2.

From the 1 October deadline to a decision

Applications go only through the online portal linked from the German application page; the foundation does not accept post or email. Since 19 August 2026 the portal has required two-factor authentication, so set up an authenticator app on your phone before you start. Germany and South Africa are on the same clock time until Germany’s summer time ends in late October, so the 23:59 cut-off is the same in both countries.

1. A formal check, then a pre-selection by Studienwerk staff confirmed online by selection committee members.
2. An interview with one of the foundation’s trusted lecturers, usually between mid-November and mid-January. Applicants abroad can be interviewed by video call if they say so in the application.
3. Committee decisions in early February for doctoral candidates and early March for students. Applicants not invited to interview hear by email about three months after the deadline.
4. A compulsory introductory seminar for everyone accepted.

Questions go to studienwerk@rosalux.de or +49 30 44310-223. Phone hours for applicants are Tuesdays 10:00 to 12:00 and Thursdays 14:00 to 16:00, with an extra Wednesday slot from 14:00 to 16:00 in September. Students weighing study in Germany against funding at home can compare our postgraduate bursaries list, and the Gates Cambridge scholarship funds postgraduate study abroad at the University of Cambridge.

FAQs