SBW Berlin Scholarship in Germany 2025 | Fully Funded

Study in Germany

Are you searching for a scholarship to study in Germany? Look no further the SBW Berlin Scholarship 2025 is now accepting applications from international students. This fully funded program supports both bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Universities of Applied Sciences in Berlin and Potsdam. It’s designed to help exceptional students from modest financial backgrounds who have demonstrated volunteer engagement and social commitment.

As an SBW Berlin Scholar, you’ll not only receive full financial coverage including tuition, accommodation, and monthly living support but also the chance to design and implement a social project tied to a challenge in your home country. Recipients are expected to continue these projects after returning home, with ongoing support from SBW Berlin.

The scholarship encourages participants to network with organizations in their home countries and Germany, and aims to build capable change makers who leverage their studies for social impact. Applicants from disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions, refugees, and those with strong social involvement are welcome to apply.

SBW Berlin funds programs across science, arts, and humanities. Twenty scholarships are awarded each cycle. However, after completing your studies, you must return home to continue your social project. Note that refugees, due to their special conditions, may have adapted requirements regarding return obligations.

Don’t miss your chance if you meet the criteria, apply today for the SBW Berlin Scholarship and make your educational journey in Germany a reality.

SBW Berlin Scholarship Duration: Up to 48 months 

Country: Germany

Financial coverage: Fully Funded

Deadline: Open all year round

 

• Applicants must be 18 to 30 years old.
• Must have professional or volunteer experience in the non-profit / social sector.
• Must not have resided in Germany for more than 18 months before applying.
• Must hold a university entrance qualification (for undergraduates) or equivalent (for master’s) and satisfy academic entry requirements.
• Must have an average grade equivalent to German GPA ≥ 2.0.
• No first-degree family members permanently residing in Germany.
• Proof of relatively low net household income is required.
• Must apply before starting studies, or be enrolled in the first, second, or at most third semester at a recognized university (in Germany or abroad). Also, for master’s, application may be shortly before or after finishing the bachelor’s.
• Applicants must commit to work in their home country for at least 18 months after graduation, or remain engaged in charitable / nonprofit work until any repayment plans are fulfilled.
• For international students, must hold or be eligible for a student visa / residence permit for study in Germany.
• Students already funded by another scholarship (especially covering studies in Germany) are generally not eligible.

 

Benefits & Coverage

• SBW Berlin provides living expenses support (a monthly stipend) during the funding period.
• A furnished room in a shared student flat (Berlin) is provided.
• Tuition fees may be covered (depends on type of scholarship).
• Possible travel allowance for arrival to and departure from Berlin.
• The maximum funding period is normally the duration of the study program.
• The scholarship’s funding may be terminated under certain conditions: e.g. failing compulsory exams, not meeting project goals, misuse of funds, staying in Germany beyond allowed period.
• In some cases, a repayment plan may be activated if the terms are violated or the recipient does not return / honor commitments.

 

Requirements for SBW Berlin Scholarship

To be eligible for the SBW Berlin Scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be between 18 and 30 years old.
• Possess professional or volunteer experience in the non-profit / social sector, ideally supported by a recommendation from a social institution or non-profit organization.
• Have not lived in Germany for more than 18 months prior to applying.
• Hold a university entrance qualification (for bachelor’s) or equivalent degree (for master’s), with good academic record (average grade equivalent to at least 2.0 on the German scale).
• Have no first-degree family members permanently residing in Germany.
• Provide evidence of relatively low net household income.
• Be applying before the start of studies, or be enrolled in the first, second, or maximum third semester at a state-recognized university (in Germany or abroad). For master’s candidates, applying shortly before or after bachelor’s completion is allowed.
• Demonstrate intention to work for at least 18 months in the home country after graduation, or to remain involved in nonprofit work until any repayment plan is fulfilled.
• Be a foreign national (non‐German citizen) whose home country is considered developmentally needy, and hold or be eligible for a student visa or residence permit for studies in Germany.
• Ensure that your studies in Germany are not already funded by another scholarship, especially for German studies; such overlap may disqualify you.

 

Additional Expectations & Considerations

• Applicants must submit a social project description aligning with nonprofit / charitable work, ideally tied to their home country.
• Letters of recommendation are essential, particularly from social institutions or nonprofit organizations with which the applicant has worked.
• The application process is selective: initial recommendation or motivation material may be reviewed to decide who receives the full application form.
• If you fail compulsory exams, neglect your social project goals, misuse funds, or remain in Germany beyond terms, your scholarship can be terminated and repayment may be required.

 

How to Apply for SBW Berlin Scholarship

1. Check you meet eligibility make sure you fulfill all the requirements in SBW Berlin’s “Guidelines for International Students”.
2. Obtain proof of social commitment
   • If applying for a Master’s program, you need a letter of recommendation from a non-profit/social institution or organization proving your volunteer / professional work in the social sector.
   • For a Bachelor’s program, if you do not have social/volunteer experience, you may submit a motivational statement instead.
3. Submit the recommendation/statement
   • The social institution or NGO must send the recommendation letter or the motivational statement (in case of Bachelor) as a PDF to application@sbw.berlin
   • After SBW reviews this, outstanding prospects will receive access to the official application form via a link.
4. Fill out application form & upload required documents
   • Once you have the link, complete the form and upload supporting documents.
   • Documents include: project description (2-5 pages), transcripts, proof of low household income, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc.
5. Submit only complete applications
   • Only fully completed applications are considered. Incomplete ones are rejected.
6. After applying
   • If you’re selected / shortlisted, SBW may contact you for further processing.
   • Scholarship recipients will engage in workshops, project reporting, etc.

Application Deadlines: There is no fixed deadline. SBW Berlin accepts applications year-round