Scholarships from the Hertie School
Full scholarships: These are competitive awards that cover 100% of the tuition fees. Eligibility for full scholarships is assessed based on an applicant’s profile, as well as their demonstrated interest in the scholarship-relevant topic. An essay is generally required to apply for one of Hertie’s full scholarships.
Partial scholarships: These are reduction to the tuition fees that range from 10% to 50%. All applicants with demonstrated financial need can apply for Hertie School partial scholarships.
All candidates with demonstrated financial need who apply by 1 May are eligible for partial scholarships.
Partial scholarships are allocated on the basis of need and merit within the pool of admitted students. The Admissions Committee ranks all MPP and MIA applicants based on the following criteria:
- Personal suitability (CV, professional experience, entrepreneurship, international experience, civic engagement) [weight: 40%]
- Academic excellence (strength of academic background, academic performance - grades/transcripts, general academic qualification, linguistic qualification) [weight: 40%]
- Motivation (convincing motivation to study public policy or international affairs, motivation to study at the Hertie School, overall coherence) [weight: 20%]
The Admissions Committee ranks all MDS applicants based on the following criteria:
- Academic excellence (Strength of academic background, academic performance - grades/transcripts, general academic qualification, linguistic qualification) [weight: 40%]
- Quantitative and technical ability (Understanding of statistics, mathematics and/or programming, as proven through a relevant degree, coursework or extracurricular activities (e.g. competitions in programming, hackathons, personal data-related projects and research) [weight: 30%]
- Personal suitability and motivation (CV, professional experience, entrepreneurship, international experience, civic engagement) [weight: 30%]
These rankings are the basis for the allocation of partial scholarships for students with financial need. We define financial need as the applicant's capacity to finance their living expenses and tuition from their own resources.
To apply for a full scholarship, submit your application for admission by one of the following deadlines: Early Bird (1 December), or Priority Deadlines (MPP/MIA/MDS: 15 January for non-EU/EEA, 15 February for EU/EEA; Executive MPA: 1 June). We recommend you apply as early as possible.
Partial scholarships are allocated on a rolling basis. If you need financial assistance, we encourage you to submit your standard application by the Priority Deadlines.
Partial scholarships are allocated to candidates who apply until the final application deadlines:
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MPP/MIA/MDS: 1 May
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Executive MPA: 1 August
Yes. With your letter of admission you receive access to the Funding Application form, where you can apply for internal funding.
The Funding Application is the form used by students to apply for full and partial scholarships as well as to provide insight into their financial situation.
Please make sure to fill out each section of the form fully and accurately. The application is divided into three main sections:
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A financial aid section to apply for Hertie School full and partial scholarships.
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A financial plan section to map out the funding strategy for your studies – including savings, student loans, scholarships and other types of aid.
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A background section about your financial background and previous studies.
Keep in mind that the form should not include references to your merit or motivation, but must communicate clearly the overall picture of your financial situation. This will help us consider all aspects of each individual case to make the best decision while allocating funds.
You will have two weeks to complete your Funding Application form. We encourage all applicants to fill out the form in a timely manner as we will not be able to process applications submitted past the two-week deadline stated in the letter of admission. As a general rule, prompt submission of the Funding Application and accompanying financial documents ensures a faster response from our side.
Partial scholarships are allocated on a rolling basis, and it takes on average two to four weeks for the committee to decide whether you are eligible for partial scholarships. Once your partial scholarship allocation has been decided, you will be notified via email.
The decision on full scholarships depends on the scholarship’s specific deadline.
Yes. It is possible to apply to both options. However, it is not possible to apply to two full scholarships.
In special cases, such as an unforeseen change of financial situation, you have the option to appeal your partial scholarship results. To do so, please submit a written request via e-mail to the Admissions Team at grad-admissions[at]hertie-school[dot]org providing the following information:
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Your reasons for requesting this appeal, and
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An updated financial plan to fund your studies, including funds you have secured and any external funding opportunities you are applying for (and their respective notification dates), elaborating on the unforeseen changes impacting your financial situation. In this section you may also provide us with information concerning any personal or financial circumstances impacting your ability to pay your tuition (family medical bills, caring for a sibling, etc.) that was not previously addressed in your funding application.
You will be required to provide proof of the changes in your financial situation.
Please keep in mind that you may only appeal once per application cycle.
External funding
The Hertie School cooperates with external funding organisations in some countries. You can find more information about the additional opportunities available for students from specific backgrounds in our partial scholarships page.
No. However, we cooperate with student funds organisations such as Deutsche Bildung, Brain Capital or Lendorse. Please get in touch with those organisations directly if it is something you’d be interested in. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with the structure of these initiatives and consider the clauses in the contract carefully to determine the funding option that will suit you best.
There is a wide range of outside funding sources available for students applying to master’s programmes. Funding options might include governmental offices, foundations, organisations, or banks. You can find more information about external funding here.
Upon admission, you can contact the Student Funding Office to get a personalised list of scholarships based on your country of origin and German language skills. The Student Funding Office also provides additional resources such as links to search engines and contacts of partner organisations.
It makes sense to start your application process once you receive the letter of admission. Make sure to look for funding options as early as possible because deadlines vary significantly.
It depends. While many scholarships offered in Germany require you to present a certificate of some level of German language proficiency (usually B2-C1) there are plenty external funding opportunities that do not.
The Deutschlandstipendium is advertised by the Ministry of Education and Research and aims to support students studying in Germany with a monthly amount of 300 euros for 12 months. To apply, you must submit your online request on MyStudies along with your CV, the transcript of your most recent academic qualification (either bachelor’s or master’s degree) and an explanatory statement.
Please keep in mind that to be eligible for the Deutschlandstipendium you cannot receive any further financial aid. You can learn more about it here.
If you have specific questions reach out directly to Student Life at studentlife[at]hertie-school[dot]org
General questions
Yes. You can access our online Funding Navigator here.
Yes. It is possible to receive a scholarship from the Hertie School and cover the rest of your tuition fees and living expenses with scholarships and loans outside of the Hertie School. In fact, this is how most of our students finance their studies.
Keep in mind that with a student residence permit you are allowed to work up to 20 hours/week during term time, and 40 hours/ week during the holiday breaks. You can easily find student job listings on sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed and company-specific pages. The Hertie School also regularly posts vacancies for internal student positions in academic and administrative departments. For more information about student jobs in Berlin, you can visit the page of Studierendenwerk.
Please note that some organisations require that a scholarship receiver should prioritise their studies and only work a specific number of hours, usually 10 hours per week.
Depending on your specific circumstances the average cost of living can vary. As a reference, the necessary amount to open a blocked bank account (often required for obtaining a German visa and/or residence permit) is 11,208 euros for annual expenses (equivalent to 934 euros per month).
If you have not managed to secure sufficient funds or are experiencing personal hurdles that prevent you from beginning your studies during your intended start year, it is possible to defer your admission and save your spot at the Hertie School for the subsequent year. To do so, please get in touch with grad-admissions[at]hertie-school[dot]org to express your interest in deferring until next academic year.
Please keep in mind that your scholarship allocation cannot be deferred. If you wish to be considered for Hertie School scholarships in the subsequent year, you will need to re-submit your Declaration of Finances. The allotted scholarship may differ from the previous year.
Yes and no. While some of our students are not able to cover the full cost of the study programme before their first semester, we highly advise you to have a solid funding plan before the start of your studies.
It is generally sufficient to secure the funds for the 1st study year and come up with a financial plan for the 2nd year upon arrival in Berlin. We support our second year students in their search for funding sources and are more than happy to provide them with suitable funding options at our disposal.
That being said, we strongly encourage you to familiarise yourself with the German student visa requirements for your country of origin as, in some cases, securing 100% of the tuition fees might be necessary to get it approved.