Scholarship in Germany

The Hanns Seidel Foundation awards highly sought-after scholarships to outstanding Master's and doctoral students to study at universities and colleges in Germany, thereby recognizing their excellent academic achievements. Eligible candidates are carefully pre-selected by our international offices. The scholarships are awarded for a period of 12 to 36 months, depending on the needs of the project office and the academic requirements. In exceptional cases, funding may also be available for bachelor's degree programmes.

Participants in these programmes receive generous financial support, personal mentoring, access to a varied seminar programme, activities with fellow scholarship holders at their place of study, membership of an international network and various training courses to enhance their skills and abilities.

Financial support

Funding within the scholarship programme consists of

- up to €992 per month for Master students (fixed amount for 12 to 24 months)

- up to €1,300 per month for doctoral students (fixed amount for 12 to 36 months)

- up to €1,000 per month for so-called follow-up scholarships. I.e. alumni can complete a research stay in Germany for research purposes (fixed amount for 3 to 6 months)

- up to €102 per month to cover the costs of health insurance in Germany 

- up to €500 one-off payment to reimburse travelling expenses 

How can you apply?

Applicants must:

- have an above-average university degree (with good or very good grades)

- be constantly and very actively involved in voluntary work (NGOs)

- show great interest in current political and civil society developments

- be committed to democracy, the rule of law and human rights

- have a solid knowledge of German (level B2 at the time of application), which must be improved after arrival in Germany (level C1 after the first year of residence in Germany) 

- be admitted to study at a German university or higher education institution (only for Master Students, for PhD approval from a Supervising Professor)

The following documents are required for the application (pdf-format): 

Master Students:

• Short curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Detailed curriculum vitae - A detailed CV should contain the same facts as a tabular CV. However, it gives you the opportunity to go into the reasons for decisions or events that have shaped your life. Length: two to four pages. Margins 2.5 cm, line spacing 1.5.
• One-page exposé on study and career goals
• University entrance qualification e.g. high school-leaving grades, national exam, etc.
• Bachelor's degree certificate and transcript of records
• 2 letters of recommendation: a) confirming voluntary work in NGOs and b) confirming outstanding academic achievements  
• Written proof of enrolment/letter of acceptance to the German university (to be submitted at the latest at the time of the interview)
• Proof of German language skills: at least level B2 for all degree programmes, including English-language degree programmes
• Current copy of passport
• Copy of previous or current residence permits in Germany or the EU

PhD Students:

• Short curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Detailed curriculum vitae - A detailed CV should contain the same facts as a tabular CV. However, it gives you the opportunity to go into the reasons for decisions or events that have shaped your life. Length: two to four pages. Margins 2.5 cm, line spacing 1.5.
• Bachelor's and Master’s degree certificate and transcript of records
• Detailed exposé of the doctoral project (PDF file):
  • Detailed justification for the choice of dissertation topic
  • Detailed description of the content and methodology of the intended dissertation project
  • Work schedule and timetable until completion of the dissertation
  • Current status of the dissertation with previous work results
  • German and English exposés are accepted
  • Length: max. 10 pages in total (margins 2.5 cm, line spacing 1.5)
  • Bibliography in the appendix (not included in the 10 pages)
• Other scientific publications (table with reference to place/year of publication)
• 2 letters of recommendation: a) confirming voluntary work in NGOs and b) confirming outstanding academic achievements  
• Written proof of enrolment/letter of acceptance to the German university, or letter from the supervisor confirming the academic supervision of the applicant (to be submitted at the latest at the time of the interview)
• Current copy of passport
• Copy of previous or current residence permits in Germany or the EU
• Other relevant certificates, e.g. proof of internships

Deadline

Please submit all required documents (in one PDF) by e-mail at delhi(at)hss.de.

Application deadline: 30th November for summer semester and 31st May for winter semester

The HSF office in your home country will decide on your admission to our online application platform as a first step. If you pass the pre-selection process, you may upload your documents to our online portal in Germany. You will receive the access to this portal from the HSF office. 

If your submitted application meets the HSF requirements, and you are strongly recommended by the HSF office, you will be contacted for a further online interview. In Germany, the selection rounds take place online every year in February and August.

If the interview is positive, you have successfully acquired your scholarship.

Following all above-mentioned requirements is a necessary condition for any application. Incomplete or incorrect applications cannot be considered. 

In case you are living in Germany or if you are a German citizen with German secondary education (Abitur), please apply directly for an HSF scholarship through the domestic application procedure. For further information concerning domestic applications, please visit the main HSF page (in German).