The Hanns Seidel Foundation (close to the CSU) funds outstanding, socially and politically engaged international Master's students and doctoral candidates to study at German universities. Successful applicants receive a monthly stipend, health-insurance support and travel costs, plus an intensive seminar and mentoring programme aimed at developing future leaders who support democracy, rule of law and human rights.
Why it is notable: One of the few German political-foundation scholarships that international students can apply to directly through an online portal — no university nomination needed — with generous monthly rates and structured ideational support (seminars, networking, mentoring).
Master's track (international students): up to €992/month fixed (official hss.de regional-office pages)
Follow-up research scholarships (alumni): up to €1,000/month for 3–6 months
Health insurance: up to €102/month support
One-off travel reimbursement: up to €500
Child- and family allowances where applicable (doctoral track)
Comprehensive non-material support: seminars on politics, society, innovation and personal development; networking with all scholarship holders; personal mentoring; events at the foundation's education centres
NOTE ON THE TWO RATES (DISPUTE, honestly marked): the DAAD scholarship database lists the international doctoral track at €1,650/month + €100 research allowance, while the foundation's own regional-office pages (Philippines/India) quote up to €1,300/month for doctoral and…
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Graduationfor MastersMasters/MPhilfor PhD
This scholarship is offered for Masters and PhD programs (and short research stays for doctoral candidates).
Who can apply
All nationalities — international students and doctoral candidates (Ausländer). Applicants from countries with an HSS foreign office should contact that office first; otherwise apply directly through the online portal. Doctoral candidates must be admitted to doctoral studies at a state or state-recognised university or research institution in Germany. Full-time study in Germany is required.
Experience
No professional experience required. Documented voluntary engagement (politics, church, social organisations, sport, music, community service) is required — only engagement proven by a certificate is considered.
Language Certificate
German B2 minimum for international students (proof required; applications without it are not considered). Doctoral candidates: "adequate knowledge of German" (official DAAD listing) — dissertation exposé accepted in German or English.
Other Certificates
University entrance qualification; Bachelor certificate and transcript (if available); for doctoral track: school-leaving certificate, final exam degree certificate (Master's), university records (graded seminar certificates); two expert opinions (one must be from the doctoral supervisor).
Age Limit
International students: under 45 years of age. International doctoral track: no explicit age limit published on official pages (UNVERIFIED — confirm with the program office before publishing).
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
All nationalities eligible. No country is published as excluded. Applicants whose home country hosts an HSS office should apply through that office…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Language
International students must prove German at B2 level or equivalent (applications without proof are not considered). Doctoral candidates need adequate German; exposé accepted in German or English.
02
Qualification
Above-average academic performance; a completed degree with good/very good grades; for PhD, admission to doctoral studies in Germany.
03
Documents
Full PDF document set per track (see checklist) using official templates for expert opinions and engagement proof.
04
Essays/answers incl. word limits
One-page exposé of study and career goals (Master's track); detailed dissertation exposé of ~10 pages plus bibliography annex (PhD track).
05
References
Master's track — one expert opinion from a professor (or subject teacher for beginners); PhD track — expert opinions from two doctoral-qualified academics, one being the doctoral supervisor. Referees may email them directly to the program office before the deadline.
06
Fee
None — the application is completely free.
Application fee
No fee — completely free.
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: German national (long-stay) student visa / researcher visa, depending on the track (check with the German embassy in your country).
Application Procedure
7 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Check eligibility on the official "Wen wir
suchen" page (all checkboxes must be YES).
→
02
Gather all documents as PDFs (see checklist below)
use the official templates for the expert opinion (Fachgutachten) and voluntary-engagement proof (Ehrenamtsnachweis).
→
03
Create and complete your application in the
HSS application portal (stipendienbewerbung.hss.de). You can pause and resume before submitting.
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06
Pre-selection by the Institute for Talent Promotion
based on your documents; suitable candidates are invited to a selection meeting (Auswahltagung) with an independent committee.
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05
Submit before the portal closes. You will
see an on-screen confirmation ("Bewerbung abgeschickt ... Und jetzt?") — no confirmation email is sent.
←
04
Expert opinions may alternatively be emailed directly
by the referees to the relevant program office — remind them of the hard deadline. Always enter the referee's name, function and email in the portal.
↓
07
You will be informed of the outcome
by email about four weeks after the application deadline.
Application milestones
15 Jan 2027
Application deadline
15 Dec 2026
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung platform.
How do I apply? A: Exclusively through the online application portal; paper applications are not accepted.When is the portal open? A: 15 December 2026 – 15 January 2027 (12:00 CET) and again 15 June – 15 July 2027 (12:00 CEST).Will I get a confirmation email after submitting? A: No. A successful submission is shown on screen ("Bewerbung abgeschickt ... Und jetzt?") — if you still see the input form, mandatory fields are incCan I pause my application? A: Yes — you can interrupt the process and continue later, as long as it has not been submitted.Which browser should I use? A: Firefox or Chrome — the portal can have problems with Safari; use a desktop computer.How will I learn the outcome? A: About four weeks after the deadline you will be informed by email of the result and any next steps.What happens after I submit? A: Pre-selection by the Institute for Talent Promotion based on your documents; suitable applicants are invited to a selection meeting (Auswahltagung) with an independent Do I really need proof of voluntary engagement? A: Yes — only engagement documented by a certificate (Ehrenamtsnachweis template) can be considered.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Germany · Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung