Guide

Heinrich Böll Scholarship Eligibility 2027: Who Can Apply as an International

Four hard rules decide whether you can apply as an international: where you studied, when you apply, what you will study in Germany, and whether you can prove German at B2.

ScholarshipUnion Editorial 4 min read Updated Oct 6, 2026

Quick eligibility checker

Seven questions based on the official application page and info sheets A1 (master’s) and A2 (PhD). This is a planning tool, not a decision.

0 of 7 answered

1
Have you completed (or will you complete before starting) your first degree abroad — a bachelor’s for the master’s scholarship, or a master’s/graduate degree for the PhD scholarship?
2
Master’s applicants: are you applying before starting your master’s in Germany? (PhD applicants: answer Yes if you have or are seeking admission to doctoral studies at a German university.)
3
Is your target programme full-time at a state or state-recognised German university, and (for a master’s) at least four semesters long?
4
Can you upload a German certificate at B2 level (or DSH) with your application, or by stage 3 at the latest?
5
Can you show real social or political engagement — volunteering, activism, community or student work — and someone outside your family who can vouch for it?
6
Do the Foundation’s values — democracy, human rights, ecology and sustainability, gender equality, anti-discrimination — genuinely connect to your work and plans?
7
Is your academic record very good, with one lecturer (two professors for a PhD) ready to write an expert report?

Result

You match the published profile. This is a planning tool, not an official decision. Next: How to Apply and the document tracker.

Result

At least one published requirement is not met yet. The German certificate is the most common gap — it is mandatory even for English-taught programmes. Recheck the official application page, or look at the alternatives.

Who counts as an international applicant

The international track is for people educated abroad. The official page says it in two sentences: international students who completed their first degree abroad can apply before starting a master’s in Germany; international PhD students who completed their graduate degree abroad can apply for a PhD in Germany.

If you went to school and university in Germany, you are treated as a domestic applicant under different rules. Domestic rules are not covered in this guide.

Apply before your master’s starts

Master’s applicants must apply prior to starting the master’s in Germany. If you are already in your second or third semester, the international master’s track is not built for you. The enrolment certificate is due with the application or at the latest by your selection interview (info sheet A1).

In practice you apply for German admission and the scholarship in parallel. That is why the 1 March round pairs naturally with a winter-semester start in October.

Priority: DAC countries, still abroad

The Foundation gives priority to applicants from countries on the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list who have not yet taken up residence in Germany when they apply. This is a priority, not a ban. Applicants from other countries, or already living in Germany, are not excluded by the published text. But they compete with less advantage.

Refugees can apply regardless of their asylum status, according to info sheet A1.

Which programmes qualify

Any discipline. Sciences, engineering, arts and humanities are all open.
Full-time study at a state or state-recognised university in Germany.
Master’s of four semesters or more. The Foundation only funds master’s programmes with a standard length of at least four semesters. One-year and three-semester master’s programmes do not qualify.
PhD: admission to doctoral studies at a state or state-recognised university, as a rule in Germany. Topics close to the Foundation’s focus areas get priority.

Bachelor’s study is not funded on the international track.

German at B2 is mandatory

Documents →

Both info sheets list proof of German at B2 or DSH as a required document. The current master’s sheet (February 2026) asks for it preferably with the application and at the latest by stage 3; the PhD sheet and the FAQ still expect it with the application. The official FAQ says this applies even if your programme is in English, because the final selection interviews are generally held in German.

Check the DSH level

Info sheets A1 and A2 and the German FAQ say “B2 or DSH 1”. The English FAQ says “B2 or DSH II”. If you plan to use a DSH result rather than a B2 certificate, confirm which level they accept with studienwerk@boell.de before you rely on it. The sheets do not list which B2 certificates are accepted.

If you do not have B2 yet, plan backwards. Reaching B2 from scratch usually takes many months of courses. If you cannot have the certificate by the stage 3 interviews of the March round (May to July 2027), 1 September 2027 may be more realistic.

Grades, age and the rest

There is no minimum grade. The FAQ says each application is assessed individually. The selection criteria still ask for a very good academic record, so a weak transcript needs a strong story elsewhere.

The FAQ says the Foundation sets no age limit for applicants. No nationality quota is published either.

Recheck the official application page before you apply.