Education opens up opportunities: it helps young people discover their abilities, develop their own goals and shape their future. By awarding three school scholarships in Bulgaria for the 2026/2027 academic year, SBW Bulgaria turns this belief into practical support.

Vivian Nikolova Nikolova, Simona Galinova Ivanova and Maria Momchilova Kirilova received their scholarship certificates from Krasmir Manev, director of SBW Bulgaria. The scholarship certificates were presented in Gabrovo on 16 September 2026. They recognise the students’ achievements to date and mark the beginning of support that will accompany them throughout the new academic year.

The three scholarship recipients stood out through their excellent academic results and extracurricular activities during the previous academic year. The average grades below are expressed using the German grading scale.

Simona completed Grade 7 with an average grade of 1.34. She takes part in activities offered by SBW Bulgaria’s education centre and took first place in a Kyokushin karate competition. The scholarship therefore recognises both her academic achievements and her learning beyond the classroom.

Vivian completed Grade 8 with an average grade of 1.00. She has also participated in various extracurricular activities, documented by certificates.

Maria also achieved an average grade of 1.00 on completing Grade 6. She particularly distinguished herself by winning numerous first places in mathematics and computer science competitions and olympiads.

The scholarships are part of the programme “Утре започва от днес”, which translates as “Tomorrow begins today”. The funding period runs from September 2026 to June 2027.

For the 2026/2027 academic year, SBW Bulgaria is awarding a total of three scholarships, each providing monthly financial support of €150. Under the programme’s regulations, funding begins in September each year and is paid monthly during the academic year. One scholarship is intended for students in Grades 5 to 7, with two further scholarships for students in Grades 8 to 12 of the Bulgarian school system.

The scholarships recognise the students’ achievements and dedication during the previous academic year and support them in continuing their education.

Selection takes into account academic performance during the previous academic year and participation in extracurricular activities, such as competitions or courses at education centres. The family’s financial circumstances are also considered. In this way, the programme combines recognition of achievement with practical support for students’ education.

The programme’s name captures the idea behind this support: opening up opportunities for young people today can help them act more independently and shape their own future tomorrow.

SBW stands for “Social Better World”. Our vision is a world in which people can develop their potential and improve their living conditions, regardless of their background. Education is an essential foundation for achieving this.

The awarding of scholarships in Bulgaria reflects this idea. It supports young people while they are still at school and recognises their academic achievements and extracurricular activities.

SBW Bulgaria’s mission connects a healthy environment, innovative education and health awareness with young people’s personal development. Scholarships and one-off educational grants are explicitly included in the association’s objectives. The “Tomorrow begins today” programme puts this educational mission into practice by recognising academic achievements and providing financial support.

SBW Bulgaria and SBW Berlin are partner organisations. The school scholarship programme presented here is run by SBW Bulgaria.

SBW Bulgaria is committed to education, vocational training and the personal development of children and young people. The association’s objectives also include improving educational opportunities and living conditions for young people facing financial difficulties.

The education centre in Gabrovo, which opened in autumn 2023, is part of this work. In our earlier blog post about SBW Bulgaria, we introduced its German and mathematics courses. The school scholarships complement this educational work with a further form of support.

We warmly congratulate Vivian, Simona and Maria on their scholarships and wish them success, curiosity and a joy of learning throughout the 2026/2027 academic year!

Find out more about SBW Bulgaria’s scholarship programme

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