The Heinrich Böll Foundation scholarship funds international students for a master’s degree or PhD in Germany. Non-EU master’s scholars get €992 a month and doctoral scholars €1,500 a month, plus a health insurance subsidy and, for many, a refund of tuition fees up to €10,000 a year. You need German at B2 level (or DSH 1), and the foundation looks hard at your civic and political engagement. It does not fund international undergraduates.
There are two deadlines a year, 1 March and 1 September. The 1 September 2026 round closed last month. The next one is 1 March 2027, with the portal open from 15 January 2027. After that comes 1 September 2027 (portal from 15 July 2027). This guide covers the amounts, the three selection stages and their timing, and a change the foundation has announced for master’s applicants from March 2027.
Heinrich Böll scholarship quick facts
- Provider: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, the foundation linked to Germany’s Green party (membership not required)
- Funded by: the Federal Foreign Office for non-EU scholars
- Who gets priority: applicants from DAC (developing) countries who do not yet live in Germany
- Master’s requirement: a programme with a standard length of at least four semesters
- Language: German B2 or DSH 1, with a certificate
- Deadline: 1 March 2027 (portal 15 January to 1 March 2027)
- Funding start if selected: by 1 October 2027 at the latest
How much the Heinrich Böll Foundation scholarship pays
The rates depend on your nationality. Non-EU scholars are funded by the Federal Foreign Office at fixed rates. EU nationals are funded by the research ministry on a means-tested basis similar to BAföG, Germany’s student grant. These are the current figures from the foundation’s financial support page.
| Item | Non-EU master’s | Non-EU PhD | EU nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic monthly stipend | €992 | €1,500 | Master’s up to €855 plus €300 study costs; PhD up to €1,750 |
| Health insurance subsidy | Up to €100 a month | Up to €200 a month | Varies |
| Research allowance | None | €100 a month | PhD €100 a month |
| Fixed extra | €38 a month | €38 a month | Not listed |
| Tuition refund | Up to €10,000 a year | Up to €10,000 a year | Not possible in Germany |
| Family allowance | €276 a month | €276 a month | PhD €155 a month |
| Duration | Standard study period, plus one semester | Three years, extendable by up to six months | Similar |
Older blogs list €934 for master’s and €1,200 for doctoral scholars. Those rates are gone. The foundation’s 2025 info sheet for PhD applicants still shows €1,400 plus a €100 mobility allowance for non-EU candidates, while the newer financial support page shows €1,500. Your award letter is the final word.
The tuition refund is what sets Böll apart from the other foundations. It matters if you study in Baden-Württemberg, at TUM in Munich, or at another university that charges non-EU students. Our Germany scholarships guide lists which states and universities charge fees in 2027.
Heinrich Böll Foundation scholarship eligibility for international students
| Level | Who can apply | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s | International students who completed their first degree outside Germany | Before your master’s starts in Germany; four-semester programmes only |
| PhD | International candidates who completed their graduate degree outside Germany, with admission to doctoral study at a state or state-recognised university | Preliminary work done and a timetable of no more than 36 months |
| Bachelor’s | Not open to international students who were not schooled in Germany | None |
All fields are eligible. Doctoral topics linked to the foundation’s own focus areas get priority. Refugees can apply under the same conditions, whatever their asylum status.
The foundation also says it looks for people who share its values (democracy, ecology, solidarity and non-violence) and take an active part in society. The social commitment reference and the interviews test this, so you need a referee who has seen your work and can describe it. A list of memberships will not do.
The March 2027 note for master’s applicants
The foundation’s application page carries a note for master’s students: from 1 March 2027 it will only accept applications for a first degree (in German, “Erststudium”). Its international pages still list master’s applicants for both 2027 windows, so the note may apply only to students already in German higher education. The foundation has not explained it. If you plan to apply for a master’s in March 2027, email studienwerk@boell.de and ask before you spend money on translations.
Documents you need
All documents go up as PDFs through the portal. The forms are fillable PDFs that must be completed in Adobe Acrobat Reader, and your answers must fit inside the boxes. Documents must be in German, except the references and the PhD exposé, which may be in English.
| Document | Master’s | PhD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application form (Bewerbungsbogen) | Yes | Yes | In German; CV, motivation, social commitment, political interests |
| School-leaving certificate | Yes | No | Certified translation if not in German or English |
| First degree certificate and transcript | Yes | Degree certificate | Add a note on how your grading converts to the German scale |
| Enrolment or admission proof | Yes | Yes | The only document you may hand in later, up to the Stage 3 interview |
| German certificate | B2 or DSH 1 | B2 or DSH 1 | Required for all international applicants |
| Social commitment reference | Yes | Yes | On the foundation’s form; not from a friend or relative; internship testimonials not accepted |
| Expert report | One, from a university lecturer | Two, one from your main supervisor | On the foundation’s form; different people from the social referee |
| Exposé | No | Yes | Max 10 pages: 8 for the research outline, 1 for the structure, 1 for the timetable |
Each reference must arrive by one channel only: uploaded in the portal, emailed to studienwerk@boell.de, or posted with an original signature. Referees who send directly must meet the same deadline. If you want a model for the academic reference, see our recommendation letter samples.
The three selection stages and when each happens
Plan around this timeline. You hear back in writing after every stage.
| Stage | What happens | March round | September round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Written review | Two staff members check grades, engagement, motivation and German | After 1 March | After 1 September |
| 2. Liaison lecturer interview | About one hour, usually in person in Germany; by phone or video in exceptional cases | Generally by mid-May | Generally by mid-November |
| 3. Committee interview | Online, three to four panel members including a current scholar | May to July | December to February |
| Decision | Award letter | June or July | January or February |
| First payment | Funding begins | By 1 October | By 1 April |
Most Stage 3 panel members are not experts in your subject, so PhD applicants should explain their project in plain terms. And if you are turned down at Stage 3, you cannot apply again. I would not apply in a rush in March if a better-prepared September application is possible.
How to apply for the Heinrich Böll Foundation scholarship
- Check the programme length: confirm your master’s has a standard duration of four semesters or more.
- Get your German certificate: B2 or DSH 1, in hand before the deadline.
- Download the right forms: the info sheet and German application form for students (A1) or doctoral candidates (A2), plus the reference forms.
- Brief your referees early: one person for social commitment, and one (master’s) or two (PhD) academics, all different people.
- Register on the portal: it opens about six weeks before each deadline, on 15 January for the March round.
- Upload and submit: after you submit, you get a confirmation email and can no longer log in, so check everything first.
- Send the enrolment proof later if needed: it can follow up to the Stage 3 interview.
Heinrich Böll scholarship deadline 2027
Deadlines are binding
The 1 September 2026 round has closed. The next portal window runs from 15 January to 1 March 2027, then from 15 July to 1 September 2027. The foundation makes no exceptions for late or incomplete files, and it asks applicants not to wait for the last day.
The March 2027 round leads to funding from October 2027, which lines up with most winter-semester master’s starts. The September 2027 round leads to funding from April 2028.
FAQs
Can I apply for the Heinrich Böll scholarship without German?
No. International applicants must show German at B2 or DSH 1 with a certificate, even if the degree is taught in English.
Can I apply before I get admission to a German university?
Yes. The enrolment or admission certificate is the one document you may submit later, up to the Stage 3 interview.
Does the Heinrich Böll Foundation fund bachelor’s degrees for international students?
No. International students who were not schooled in Germany can apply only for a master’s or a PhD.
Can I reapply if I am rejected?
Not if you were rejected at the final (Stage 3) interview. The foundation’s info sheets say a rejection at that stage rules out another application.
Sources and updates
Rates come from the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s financial support page. Eligibility, 2027 portal windows and the master’s note come from its Applying for a scholarship page and the German application page. Documents, selection stages and timing come from the foundation’s info sheets and checklists for student and doctoral applicants (2025). The PhD info sheet and the financial support page disagree on the non-EU doctoral rate, so both are mentioned. Checked on 24 October 2026. I will update this page if the foundation clarifies the March 2027 note for master’s applicants.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
