StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships — the Foundation’s "Tailwind for Talents" programme for graduates and PhD students — support international students who want to do a Master’s degree or a PhD in Germany, at any state or state-recognised university, in any academic discipline. The Foundation awards around 1,500 scholarships a year (plus about 200 doctoral awards), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA).
The award is a monthly stipend: €992 for Master’s students and €1,500 for PhD students, plus possible additional allowances, for the standard period of study with a possible one-semester extension. Since most German public universities charge no tuition, the stipend is the core of the award. The Foundation is the green political foundation close to the German Green Party, and it looks for applicants whose academic work and social engagement line up with its values: democracy, ecology, human rights, participation and social responsibility. Priority goes to applicants from DAC countries who have not yet taken up residence in Germany when they apply.
Eligibility
- International students from EU and non-EU countries; priority to applicants from DAC countries who have not yet taken up residence in Germany at the time of application.
- Master’s applicants: you must have completed your first degree abroad and apply before starting a Master’s programme in Germany.
- PhD applicants: you must have completed a graduate degree abroad and apply for a PhD programme in Germany.
- A strong academic record plus social commitment and political interest aligned with the Foundation’s values.
- German language skills at B2 level or DSH 1 — this is the requirement to plan around now, since certification takes time.
- There is no published numerical age limit and no application fee.
Benefits
- A monthly stipend of €992 for Master’s students and €1,500 for PhD students.
- Possible additional allowances on top of the stipend.
- Funding for the standard period of study, with a possible one-semester extension.
- Study at any state or state-recognised university in Germany, in any discipline.
- Access to the Foundation’s seminars, networks and professional development (reported by secondary sources).
Documents to prepare
- German-language certification at B2 level or DSH 1.
- University admission (or evidence of application) for the Master’s or PhD programme in Germany.
- Academic references and evidence of social or political engagement.
- The Foundation publishes programme-specific checklists — use the official information flyer and checklist for your applicant group to confirm the full requirements before applying. No definitive document list is stated here because the official page points applicants to those checklists.
How to apply
- Use the preparation window now: obtain your German-language certification (B2 / DSH 1), secure university admission, and gather academic references and evidence of social or political engagement.
- When the portal opens, apply online through the Foundation’s scholarship portal — Spring 2027: 15 January to 1 March 2027; Fall 2027: 15 July to 1 September 2027.
- Check the official information flyer and programme-specific checklists on the Foundation’s scholarships page before submitting.
FAQs
There are two windows: Spring 2027 runs 15 January to 1 March 2027, and Fall 2027 runs 15 July to 1 September 2027. Both are published on the Foundation’s own scholarships page.
€992 a month for Master’s students and €1,500 a month for PhD students, plus possible additional allowances, for the standard period of study with a possible one-semester extension.
International students from EU and non-EU countries, with priority to applicants from DAC countries who have not yet taken up residence in Germany. Master’s applicants must have completed their first degree abroad and apply before starting the Master’s in Germany; PhD applicants need a graduate degree from abroad.
Yes — German language skills at B2 level or DSH 1 are required for international graduate applicants.
No numerical age limit is published.
Academic strength plus social commitment and political interest aligned with the Foundation’s values — democracy, ecology, human rights, participation and social responsibility.
No — there is no application fee.
Any state or state-recognised university in Germany, in any academic discipline.
Verified 28 Oct 2026 against the Foundation's own page — boell.de/en/scholarships (checked via search, crawled 4 hours ago: "Tailwind for Talents: Scholarships for Graduates and PhD students"; priority to DAC-country applicants not yet resident in Germany; "Our next application deadlines: Spring 2027: 15 January 2027 until 1 March 2027; Fall 2027: 15 July 2027 until 1 September 2027"; funded by BMBF and the Federal Foreign Office; contact studienwerk@boell.de) — plus corroboration from Careeraidhub (Spring 2027 portal opens 15 January 2027, closes 1 March 2027; second window 15 July–1 September 2027; German B2/DSH; Master's €992), DAADScholarship (status announced, applications open 15 January 2027; Master's €992/month plus allowances; PhD €1,500/month plus allowances; German B2 or DSH 1; no age limit; no fees; Spring deadline 1 March 2027; Fall deadline 1 September 2027; verified 20 September 2026), GlobalScholarshipsHub (up to €992/month for non-EU students; deadlines 1 March and 1 September annually) and AfterSchoolAfrica (deadline 15 January 2027 to 1 September 2027 — see conflict note). CONFLICTS: (1) AfterSchoolAfrica prints the window as "15 January 2027 to September 1, 2027" — that conflates the two separate windows; the official page lists Spring (15 January–1 March 2027) and Fall (15 July–1 September 2027) separately, and the article follows the official page. (2) Some secondary pages list the stipend as €934–€1,450 a month; the figures used here (€992 Master's / €1,500 PhD) come from the most recent 2027 guides (Careeraidhub, DAADScholarship). (3) GlobalScholarshipsHub gives the second window as "1 March to 1 September 2027" — the official page gives 15 July to 1 September 2027, and the article follows the official page.
