Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships in Germany

The Heinrich Boll Foundation scholarships in Germany offer annual financial assistance to around 1,400 UG, PG, and doctoral students in all subjects and from all countries. It is granted to all those pursuing academic degrees at German universities or universities of the arts/applied sciences. 

The scholarship committee expects the highest academic standards from applicants, along with an inclination towards politics, society, and engagement or an interest in sustainability or ecology. Other applicable interests include self-determination, human rights, democracy, and justice as per the official scholarship website. Only online applications are acceptable with proof of proficiency in the German language wherever applicable. 

Scholarships in Germany

• Scholarship for MS in Germany
• DAAD Scholarship
• Deutschlandstipendium National Scholarship Programme

Eligibility Criteria for Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships

• Applications are not accepted for undergraduate degrees. 
• Proof of the first qualification for all applicants. Only Master’s degrees are eligible in the case of EU and non-EU nationals. However, for local or international students educated in German, their first degree (Diploma/Bachelor) will be eligible for the scholarship. 
• Level DSH 2 or B2 German language proficiency. 

Benefits of Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships

Ph.D. students get up to €1350 (INR 1.16 lakh) per month, with an extra €100 (INR 8,577) paid each month as the allowance for research. UG and PG students get €752 (INR 64.497) per month and a book allowance of €300 (INR 25,727). There are provisions for family and/or health and childcare insurance in some cases. The benefits mentioned above apply to foreigners/German citizens educated in Germany and EU nationals. 

Non-EU nationals who are not educated in Germany get €1,200 (INR 1.03 lakh) per month if they are Ph.D. aspirants, along with the mobility allowance of €100 (INR 8,577) each month. Graduate and undergraduate aspirants receive €861 (INR 73.827)each month. Students also get varying allowances in many categories.  

Documents Required for Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships

• Completed application form. 
• Motivation Letter (Your reason for choosing the subject and interests, social and political interests/commitments, entrance qualification for university, copy of qualification). 
• List of academic certificates to date, including the certified first-degree copy. 
• Enrolment certificate of the student. 
• Written German language proficiency proof. 
• Work samples in specific categories. 
• Third-party reference (1-2 pages) for social commitments. 
• Expert reference given by a college or university lecturer. 
• Refugees need to provide documents containing their asylum or residence permit details. 

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How Can You Apply? 

You can only apply online. Get all information on the application procedure and the documents in place. You have to register at the portal and then upload your documents. The stages include submitting your documents and attending the interview with your liaison lecturer. 

The report is then added to your application after the one-hour interview. You will then go through the selection workshop, where there will be a personal interview and GD (group discussion). Digital workshops do not come with group discussions. The workshops are held to evaluate the individual talents and abilities of applicants. 

Important Dates

The deadline for applications is 1st March and 1st September. You should ideally wrap up the liaison lecturer interviews by mid-May and mid-November in both cases, respectively. After that, the selection workshop will take place in June/July, with the notification issued soon after for applications made by 1st March. For those submitted by 1st September, the notification and selection workshop may take place around January or February. 

Selection Criteria for Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships

There are three parts of the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s scholarships in Germany selection criteria. They include: 

1. Submission of all documents for the application. It includes the personal reference that details the applicant’s social commitments and expert reference courtesy of the lecturer (can be school teachers in the case of newer students). The reference should be sealed and submitted separately or with the student’s application. 
2. You will then go through the interview with the liaison lecturer at your institution or in proximity to your place of residence. 
3. You will then have to attend the selection workshop in Berlin, which will comprise an interview and group discussion. There is a stage-wise selection with smaller groups being chosen for further stages. You will come to know about the decisions taken by the selection committee at every stage. 

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