Friedrich Naumann Foundation Scholarships for Non-EU Foreign Students

Who can apply

Enrolled in, or about to enrol in, the Master's phase or the main phase (Hauptstudium) of a Staatsexamen at a German public or state-recognised university or Fachhochschule, studying full-time
At least two more semesters of study remaining when funding begins
Not eligible: Bachelor's degrees for non-EU foreign students, second degrees, part-time study, non-full-time distance learning, postgraduate/supplementary (Aufbau- und Ergänzungs-) programmes, or study/research stays and internships abroad
Selected on three equally-weighted criteria (academic performance, strong personality, genuine engagement) through a written application followed by a one-on-one interview with an independent selection committee
Two letters of reference are required, submitted directly by your referees through a link generated at registration, not uploaded by you; first-semester Master's applicants may use references from their Bachelor's programme
All documents must be in German or English, arranged as individual PDF scans of up to 5 MB each, including a CV of no more than two pages

What the foundation doesn’t say, and what a linked government document does

This entry is thinner on the money than most on this site because that’s genuinely what the foundation’s own pages publish: nowhere on freiheit.org is there a stated monthly amount for this route. But Naumann’s own page links directly to the source of its funding, the Federal Foreign Office’s scholarship guideline, and that document does publish a rate: up to 992 euros a month for the category covering people who already hold a Bachelor’s degree and are continuing their studies, which is the category a Master’s or Staatsexamen candidate falls into. Read this as the government ceiling that governs the funding channel Naumann draws on, not a confirmed Naumann-specific figure, since the guideline explicitly allows the foundation to pay up to 20% below that ceiling during a two-year transition period from August 2025. It is nonetheless a far more useful number than “unpublished,” and the closest verifiable estimate available anywhere for this scholarship.

The selection cycle runs on a fixed twice-yearly clock

The selection process is worth planning around rather than treating as a formality: it runs on a fixed twice-yearly cycle, and preselected candidates travel to a one-on-one interview with an independent committee of people from business, politics, and academia, held only twice a year. Missing the October window means waiting until the following April, and interviews for October applicants don’t happen until the following February, so factor several months between applying and a funding decision.

The paperwork, and how references actually get submitted

The document list is specific about format as well as content: a CV of no more than two pages, your passport or ID (with the visa or residence-status page if you’re applying from outside the EU), proof of university admission or enrolment, the degree that qualifies you for your current studies, and academic transcripts, each uploaded as an individual PDF scan capped at 5 MB. Two letters of reference are required, but you never handle them directly: registering for the scholarship generates a link you forward to your referees, who submit their reviews straight to the foundation, and first-semester Master’s applicants can use references from their Bachelor’s programme rather than needing brand-new ones. Everything must be in German or English; arranging your own translation, well before the guide to translating and certifying academic documents becomes urgent, is on you.

If you’re not a non-EU foreign national

Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung runs this as one of four parallel scholarship tracks split strictly by applicant category: separate programmes exist for German students, EU students, and refugees, each with its own eligibility rules and, in at least one case, its own published funding terms. If you don’t fit the non-EU foreign-national category this entry covers, check whether one of those sibling programmes fits instead of assuming this is the foundation’s only option.