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"The FES Scholarship helped me to form new relationships."

Kenneth Heinecke

My name is Kenneth, I am 25 years old and a current student in the MSc Management program (class of 2022). I have been a recipient of the Friedrich Ebert Scholarship (FES) since the third semester of my bachelor studies. This is the story of how I became a FES scholar and why it was worth the time and energy invested.

by Kenneth Heinecke

The FES is one of the “thirteen organizations for the promotion of young talent which have come together under the umbrella of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to provide support to students and young researchers with special talents” (stipendiumplus.de, German language, 2021). These organizations can be politically oriented or ideologically neutral, or affiliated with a specific faith or denomination. They fund German students studying in Germany or abroad but also international students studying in Germany.

Regular students with regular grades and struggles

I became aware of the scholarship during an on-campus event for all types of scholarships during my bachelor’s. As a young second-semester student I didn't really think that I would be eligible for any of these scholarships, but a good friend of mine convinced me to go anyway. Talking to the scholars I realized that they're also regular students with regular grades and struggles, coming from regular universities. The difference was that they had put in some extra work by being socially or politically active. But to be fair, some also had a good academic track record. With their encouragement and advice, I was able to find the right scholarship on www.stipendiumplus.de (German language) and start the demanding application process.

Voluntary work can help

One of my main selling points was my voluntary work as a founding member and head of events at bonding Bremen. Bonding is a network of students that organize workshops, excursions, and job fairs free of charge for other students in different locations around Germany. I helped exchange students and refugees who had just arrived in Germany with their struggles living in a new country. Sharing the same values as the FES (freedom, justice and solidarity) and being the first one in my family to study also earned me plus points. However, none of these things are required, and any type of voluntary work can help you during the long application process. The main aim of the FES and most of the twelve other foundations is to “address social disadvantages by supporting students who actively work for freedom, justice and social cohesion in their commitment”.

Indeed, the application process took me seven months, and included an endless number of documents and a few interviews. In the end, I was accepted, so it was definitely worth the time.

Why was it worth the time and energy invested?

  1. You will gain access to a broad spectrum of exclusive workshops, seminars and excursion in Germany and other FES locations all over the world. Even as an alumnus you'll have access to many FES events.
  2. As a scholar from any of the thirteen organizations you will be supported financially on a monthly basis during your bachelor’s, master’s and even doctoral studies. The amount of support depends on how much you earn on a monthly basis.
  3. And probably the most important thing is that you will meet people from a wide range backgrounds with a similar drive and values (as you should ideally choose a foundation you can identify with). These friendships or professional relationships can be formed during your time as a scholar and can easily go beyond the period of support.

Become part of a network

The FES Scholarship helped me to form new relationships, gain access to other valuable programs, and become part of a broad network of dedicated students. For these reasons, I would highly recommend any student with decent grades and/or voluntary experience to apply for scholarships. You don't need a 4.0 (American) GPA or to be involved in five volunteer projects. Any type of social or political involvement can make you eligible. And even if you don't get accepted, you might have set up your foundation to apply for other scholarships or programs which require letters of motivation. Please don't hesitate to contact me via LinkedIn if you have any questions regarding the scholarship. I'm looking forward to reading your messages!

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