Home / Opportunities / Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS) Scholarship Programme for International Students (study scholarship) and International Doctoral Candidates (doctoral scholarship) — 2027 round
Germany · state or state-recognised German universities
Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS) Scholarship Programme for International Students (study scholarship) and International Doctoral Candidates (doctoral scholarship) — 2027 round
The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation — the political foundation associated with democratic socialism — funds highly qualified, socially and politically engaged international students (Master's) and doctoral candidates at German universities. It explicitly prefers applicants facing social, political or gender disadvantage (women, first-generation, migrant backgrounds, disabled students) and actively encourages STEM applicants. Applications run once a year with an October deadline; the next round is expected 1 October 2027 (2027 round not yet announced — confirm).
Why it is notable: it is the most values-explicit of the German foundations — activism isn't a bonus, it's a selection criterion — and unlike DAAD it requires B2 German even when your dissertation is in English, which filters out most international applicants before they start; hardly any aggregator explains the 15-months-in-Germany rule or the one-programme-only rule.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Monthly grant plus allowances for up to 3 years (doctoral)
study-track funding per BAföG-style rules for domestic-equivalent cases. Doctoral figures per the DAAD scholarship database: €1,400/month basic grant + €100 mobility allowance + €20 monthly lump sum (mark: verify on the foundation's site before publishing). Study-track amounts…
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Graduationfor MastersMasters/MPhilfor PhD
This scholarship is offered for Masters and PhD programs.
Who can apply
See the official eligibility page
Experience
No experience required
Language Certificate
very good German, B2 level with proof of language acquisition — required for BOTH tracks, even if writing the dissertation in English (verified on official pages)
Other Certificates
Degree certificates & transcripts
Age Limit
none specified (unverified)
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
Check whether your country is eligible.
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
very good German, B2 level with proof of language acquisition — required for BOTH tracks, even if writing the dissertation in English (verified on official pages)
02
Documents
per the online portal (unverified exact list — see step 4)
Document checklist
01per the online portal (unverified exact list — see step 4)
Application fee
No fee — completely free
No separate scholarship application fee is published; confirm on the official page.
Visa, kept concise: German national visa for study at the embassy/consulate after admission; residence permit after arrival and address registration.
Application Procedure
6 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Confirm you meet the international-track requirements (foreign national
admission/enrolment in Germany, B2 German, ≤15 months in Germany, engagement record).
→
02
Choose ONE programme
study scholarship OR doctoral scholarship.
→
03
Apply online through the foundation's application portal ("Stipendienbewerbung" —
the applications page is German-only; portal and forms are not sent by post).
↓
06
Selection includes review by experts and
for shortlisted candidates, an interview with liaison lecturers (aggregator-reported — confirm).
←
05
Submit by 1 October (the 2026 round
closed 1 October 2026 at 23:59; same annual pattern expected for 2027 — confirm once announced).
←
04
Upload all documents as PDFs (exact list
unverified from official pages viewed — aggregators list: enrolment certificate, tabular CV, engagement evidence, expert reference/Gutachten, degree certificates, transcripts, ID/passport, residence permit/visa for non-E
Application milestones
1 Oct 2027
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official state or state-recognised German universities platform.
1 Oct 2027 — (annual recurring deadline verified on the official page and DAAD database as "1 October"; the 2026 round…
What does the scholarship cover?
Monthly grant plus allowances for up to 3 years (doctoral); study-track funding per BAföG-style rules for domestic-equivalent cases. Doctoral figures per the DAAD scholarship database: €1,400/month basic grant + €100 mobility allowance + €20 monthly lump sum (mark: verify on the foundation's site before publishing). Study-track amounts…
Where do I apply?
Through the official application portal linked in the Official links section on this page.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Germany · state or state-recognised German universities