SBW Berlin 2022 Scholarship for International Students

The SBW Berlin Scholarship supports young people from abroad who come from financially disadvantaged family backgrounds and use the skills they acquired during their studies in Germany to boost long-term non-profit projects, preferably in their home countries.

We award our scholarships for bachelor’s and master's programs at a university or special university of applied sciences in Berlin and Potsdam based on the student's academic qualifications, personal aptitude, and social needs. In general, all scientific and artistic disciplines can be funded.

• Table of Content
• About SBW Berlin
• Scholarship
• Aim and Benefits of Scholarship
• Requirements for Scholarship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About SBW Berlin

Scholarship

Aim and Benefits of Scholarship

For the duration of the scholarship (max. funding period equals the regular period of study), SBW Berlin covers the necessary living expenses of the scholarship recipients. The scholarship includes:

• a room in our shared student flats in Berlin
• cost-of-living allowance
• tuition fees11
• possibly also a travel allowance for your journey to Berlin before the start of your studies and for the journey home after you have completed your studies12

First payments can only be made after the scholarship

Requirements for Scholarship Qualification

• Foreign nationals, whose home countries appear to have a particular need for development assistance1
• Homeless foreigners
• Recognized refugees2
• Holders of a settlement permit
• Holders of an EU long-term residence permit
• Students from EU and EEA countries who have already worked in Germany in an activity related to their studies, before taking up their studies
• Students from EU/EEA countries with permanent right of residence as defined by the Freedom of Movement Act (Freizügigkeitsgesetz EU)

Students whose studies in Germany are already being funded by another scholarship are not eligible to apply.

Applicants must meet the following requirements: 

• between 18 and 30 years old 
• professional or volunteer experience in the non-profit sector
• strong intention to work in their country of origin for at least 18 months after graduation3
• able to prove a relatively low net income4 ? no first-degree family members who reside permanently in Germany
• able to prove that they have not stayed in Germany for more than 18 months before the application
• average grades corresponding to a German grade point average of at least 2.0
• application before the start of their university education or fully enrolled in the first, second or max. third semester at a state-recognized university (in Germany or abroad) or application for a master’s degree shortly before or after obtaining a bachelor’s degree

Applicants who do not meet all the requirements stated above cannot be considered.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Applicants must submit at least the following documents:

1. application form
2. letter of motivation (one or two pages long)
3. current curriculum vitae. The CV is already included in our application form and does not have to be submitted as a separate document.
4. copy of the last school or university certificate that shows the grade point average and a grade overview
5. copy of the highest academic degree (high school diploma or university certificate) that shows the grade point average and a grade overview
6. information about the net household income.

If available, copies of the following documents should also be included:

• qualification for university entrance
• admission of the university in Berlin or Potsdam where you intend to study (or are already studying)
• internationally recognized language certificate for the language in which your studies will be.

For more details, visit SBW Berlin website.