Overview

The Harvard Scholarship Foundation Germany was created in January 2016 by the five Harvard Clubs in Germany and Harvard alumni to support ambitious and talented high school students, graduate and postgraduate students. The roots of the Harvard Clubs in Germany dates back over a hundred years to when the first Harvard alumni organization in Germany was founded in Berlin in 1912. For many decades these clubs have worked independently from one another fostering excellent transatlantic relations. The clubs share one goal: ensuring that access to top-level academic education is no longer dependent on income or social background. Now, through the Harvard Scholarship Foundation, which is administered and coordinated centrally in Berlin, our clubs have united with the purpose of promoting the Harvard educational experience. In some of the wealthiest, most successful countries in the world, children from families with low-income and little history of educational achievement are still significantly under-represented in higher education. Germany is no exception: Only 20% of children from families with a low level of education make it to university. Financial burden is the reason most often cited as preventing people from studying or dropping out. Unfortunately, students who need financial support the most are also the least likely to apply for scholarships: Only 9% of children in Germany whose parents did not go to university ever receive a scholarship. It is our mission to change that! We want tomorrow’s thinkers, visionaries and leaders to be able to fulfill their dreams, regardless of the circumstances in which they grew up. We want students, especially those who might otherwise be left behind, to achieve their maximum potential. We want Harvard to be one of the building blocks in the development of these exceptional, young people with a background in Germany.