The McCloy Scholarship Program funds up to six people a year for a two-year MPP, MPA or MPA/ID at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) in Cambridge, with a compulsory internship between the two years.
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes runs it, funded by Harvard University, the German federal ERP special fund, the Haniel Foundation, the McCloy Scholarship Foundation and a support association. Scholars are expected to help run programme activities at HKS.
Benefits & funding
- USD 2,500 a month for 21 months, plus a one-off USD 500 start grant and a USD 1,000 travel grant.
- HKS tuition reduced to a personal share of EUR 10,000 per academic year; other awards such as DAAD can cover it, and an emergency fund is open to those turned down by at least one other scholarship.
- Membership of the Studienstiftung and the McCloy and Haniel networks.
Eligibility
- German citizens qualify wherever they studied; others need one of: a university entrance qualification from Germany or a German school abroad; equal standing under Section 8 BAföG (such as German permanent residence or refugee status); or EU/Swiss citizenship plus a latest degree from Germany.
- A bachelor’s, master’s, Diplom or state examination completed before HKS starts, graded at least “good” (law: “fully satisfactory”).
- Latest degree at most five years old on 1 November; parenting, illness or care time counts only if agreed with the programme by 1 October.
- The MPA needs three years’ work experience at enrolment; the MPP needs none.
- Joint, dual and Mid-Career MPA degrees are not funded; past ERP scholars cannot apply.
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Application process
- 1Email the current 2027–29 application pack as one PDF by 1 November 2026; GRE/GMAT scores not ready by then may follow by 15 November.
- 2Three referees email their letters directly to the Studienstiftung by 1 November 2026.
- 3Apply separately to HKS by its early-December deadline (fee about USD 100); HKS decides admission on its own.
- 4Shortlisted applicants attend an in-person selection seminar in Bonn with three individual interviews and group discussions.
- 5The award applies only after HKS admission.
Program timeline
Application and reference deadline.
1 November 2026
Seminar invitations.
Late November to mid-December 2026
Selection seminar in Bonn.
15–17 January 2027
HKS admission decisions.
March or April 2027
Two-year programme at HKS.
2027–2029