BAföG

The following information provides you with an overview of the main provisions of BAföG funding.

The 29th BAföG Amendment Act also introduced study start-up aid in 2024. This is intended to make it easier for young people from low-income households to decide in favour of higher education and reduce financial barriers to starting their studies.

The start-up grant is a one-off subsidy of 1,000 euros and is intended to help with expenses such as laptops, teaching and learning materials and rent deposits. The start-up grant can be applied for independently of any subsequent BAföG entitlement and is not offset against BAföG. You can find out more at www.bafög.de/bafoeg/de/das-bafoeg-alle-infos-auf-einen-blick/studienstarthilfe/studienstarthilfe_node.html

You can receive educational support if you are studying at a university, higher technical college or academy. This also applies if you are attending a further general or vocationally qualifying school or taking part in recognised distance learning courses that prepare you for the same qualifications under the same entry requirements.

The BAföG also supports internships that must be completed in connection with attending the above-mentioned training centres.

The granting of funding is subject to certain conditions. Whether you fulfil these is primarily determined by your income and assets as well as the income of your parents and your spouse or registered partner. Citizenship or residence status and age are also relevant as well as, in the case of a degree programme, proof of an intermediate examination or an orderly course of study and compliance with the maximum funding period.

Funding is also available for a Master's degree programme and postgraduate studies if you have not yet obtained a university degree other than a Bachelor's degree. The general age limit up to which training must be taken up in order to be eligible for BAföG funding is 45 years.

Foreign nationals who are already long-term residents or who live in Germany and have the prospect of staying permanently can also receive BAföG funding.

Training assistance is granted on application from the beginning of the month in which you actually start your training or studies, but at the earliest from the beginning of the month of application. It therefore makes sense to submit the application early, i.e. six to eight weeks before the start of your studies.

The funding ends when you pass the final examination or, if no final examination is planned, at the end of the training period, when you discontinue your training or when you reach the maximum funding period.

The maximum funding period is based on the standard period of study specified in the relevant state higher education act and/or in the relevant study and examination regulations. The programme is deemed to have been completed in the month in which the overall result of your successfully completed higher education course is announced. The funding ends no later than two months after the month in which the last examination was taken. However, it is possible to take advantage of a one-off flexible semester beyond the maximum funding period. This allows students to concentrate fully on their final thesis, for example, if they slightly exceed the standard period of study.

If knowledge of languages other than German, English, French or Latin must be acquired, the maximum funding period is extended by one semester for each language acquired while attending university.

In the event of delays due to a disability, pregnancy, care and upbringing of a child up to the age of fourteen or the care of a close relative in need of care with at least care level 3, the funding period can be extended for a reasonable period of time (§15 BAföG, para. 3). However, participation in statutory committees and statutory bodies of the university, failure to pass the final examination for the first time and other serious reasons can also extend the funding period. A separate application is required in each case.

Students who were unable to complete their studies within the maximum BAföG funding period can apply for graduation assistance under certain conditions. This is an interest-free government loan (full loan) for a maximum of twelve months, which must be repaid in full. The prerequisite for this is that you have been admitted to the final examination within four semesters of the end of the maximum funding period or, in the case of degree programmes without a final examination, that you have obtained the final qualification. The examination centre or training institution must certify that the course can be completed within the maximum duration of the financial aid.

BAföG funding can also be continued after a change of subject. The prerequisite for this is that the change takes place before the start of the fifth semester and there are important reasons for it. When changing subject for the first time up to the beginning of the fourth semester, an important reason is assumed without further proof, otherwise it must be justified in detail. For example, a lack of aptitude or a serious or fundamental change of inclination will be recognised. When determining the relevant subject-related semester, the number of semesters that are credited from the first degree programme to the new degree programme is deducted.

The first change has no effect on the type of funding. However, further changes can lead to the new degree programme being funded with an interest-free state loan (full loan) in the final phase.

There must be an irrefutable reason for a change of subject from the fifth semester onwards. This is only the case in exceptional circumstances, e.g. if you have to give up your previous degree programme for health reasons (e.g. sports science students after a serious injury). In the event of a change for an unavoidable reason, the funding type of half grant/interest-free state loan remains in place even during the additional time required.

Changes of specialisation must be carried out immediately after the important or unavoidable reason becomes known. If this is not done, BAföG funding for the new study programme can be refused.

Tip: You can apply for an advance decision to clarify whether you will receive funding for a different course of study after a change of specialisation. BAföG-funded students should therefore seek advice from the Office for Educational Support at an early stage before making a change.

Please note: This also includes changes of specialisation that took place before the first BAföG application. So if you enrol in a certain subject, later decide on a different subject and only then apply for BAföG, you have already changed subject within the meaning of BAföG.

Different regulations apply to the funding of stays abroad within and outside the European Union (EU) or Switzerland. In general, stays abroad that are completed in third countries must last at least six months or one semester, or at least twelve weeks if the study programme is part of a university cooperation. These time restrictions do not apply to stays abroad within the EU or Switzerland.

Within the EU and in Switzerland, training programmes are also funded if they are completed entirely abroad. Students abroad can receive supplements for verifiable necessary tuition fees (up to 5,600 euros for a maximum of one year), for travel costs for a total of one outward and one return journey (250 euros each within Europe, otherwise 500 euros each) and for additional health insurance costs. The tuition fees taken into account do not have to be repaid. Half of the other allowances mentioned are granted to students as a grant and half as an interest-free loan - just like the domestic grant.

Studying abroad outside the EU and Switzerland can generally only be funded as part of an education in Germany, the EU or Switzerland, and - with the exception of study visits as part of a university cooperation programme - only for a maximum of one year and only if it is conducive to the level of education and can be credited at least in part to the studies at the home university. The latter is generally assumed. A further three semesters abroad can be funded if the study abroad is of particular importance for the programme. In addition to the above-mentioned supplements, further supplements may be paid for higher living costs abroad, which vary from country to country.

Internships abroad within and outside the EU can also be funded if they fulfil the special funding requirements. These include that a work placement must be necessary for the completion of the training programme and its content must be regulated in the training regulations. When completing an internship in third countries, the prescribed duration must be at least twelve weeks and the internship abroad must be beneficial in terms of the level of training.

Note: Higher rates of need for training abroad may mean that trainees who do not receive funding in Germany due to their income and assets or the income of their parents can also receive funding during a training period abroad.

It is also important to know that training periods abroad, which are not mandatory as such in the training regulations, are not counted towards the maximum funding period for up to one year if the study programme was started or is continued in Germany.

The BAföG provides for lump sums as monthly requirements, the amount of which depends on the type of training centre (e.g. vocational school or university) and accommodation (living with parents or living away from home).

The monthly requirement for students is currently

• 534 euros if they live with their parents and
• 855 euros if they do not live with their parents, are under 25 years old and have family insurance.

Taking into account the surcharges for health and long-term care insurance, the maximum funding rate for students living away from home is 992 euros. Students over the age of 30 can receive up to €96 more, depending on proof, up to the limit of €185 (health insurance) and €48 (long-term care insurance).

BAföG recipients receive a flat-rate childcare allowance of 160 euros per month for each of their own children under the age of fourteen with whom they live in the same household. This supplement does not have to be paid back and is not taken into account as income for other social benefits.

BAföG funding is based on the rate of need, from which income and assets are deducted.

The receipt of parental allowance of up to 300 euros per month and scholarships granted on the basis of talent and performance (e.g. Deutschlandstipendium) totalling up to 300 euros per month are not taken into account.

Deductions from income include income and church tax, flat-rate amounts for social security (i.e. in particular health, unemployment and pension insurance) or subsidised pension contributions such as the Riester pension.

In general, an annual gross amount of 6,679.57 euros of the trainee's income is exempt from deduction. For the trainee's spouse or partner, €850 per month is exempt. The allowance for each child is 770 euros per month.

The student's own income is determined by the income situation during the period of authorisation (§ 22 BAföG). The approval period is usually one academic year.

Assets include, for example, property, cash, business assets, savings or building society savings contracts. Household items such as furniture, washing machines or musical instruments are not included. Existing debts and encumbrances are deducted from the relevant value of the assets at the time of application.

The assets at the time of application are decisive. The allowance for BAföG recipients' own assets is 15,000 euros (under 30 years) or 45,000 euros (30 years and older). The additional allowances for BAföG recipients with maintenance obligations towards their own spouse, partner or for each child are 2,300 euros each. The remaining amount is divided by the number of months in the approval period and offset against the monthly requirement. Be careful with gifts or asset transfers: Assets that were transferred to third parties, e.g. parents, without consideration shortly before the start of training will still be taken into account in full by the Office for Educational Support.

In principle, your parents are obliged to finance your education. If this is not possible for financial reasons, BAföG will step in. For this reason, your parents' income must be checked when applying for BAföG.

The income of the parents and the spouse or partner in the penultimate calendar year before the start of the approval period (§ 24 BAföG) is decisive for the crediting of income. There are also allowances here, the amount of which depends on various factors (§ 25 BAföG). There is also the option of submitting an update application if the income is expected to be significantly lower during the approval period.

To ensure that the debt burden remains manageable, there is a maximum burden limit. Students at universities, higher technical colleges and academies generally receive half of the funding as a grant, which does not have to be repaid, and half as an interest-free loan. You must repay the loan portion to the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne in a maximum of 77 monthly instalments of 130 euros over a period of 20 years. The first instalment is due five years after the end of the maximum funding period (not after the end of your studies). Exemption from the repayment obligation is possible if certain income limits are not exceeded.

For those who are receiving BAföG for the first time, the following applies to the later repayment of the loan instalment: Anyone who has repaid 77 instalments is debt-free, regardless of how high the loan was originally. A maximum of 10,010 euros must therefore be repaid. Anyone who can only be required to make lower instalments than 120 euros due to insufficient income is also free after 77 instalments, i.e. even if less than 10,010 euros has actually been repaid.

A discount is available for all those who repay their BAföG loan early in one lump sum before the start of repayment or repay larger instalments of at least 500 euros early.

Please note: The notice of assessment and repayment, which is sent approximately 6 months before the start of repayment, contains an offer for early repayment with the highest possible discount. No additional discount is granted for early repayment well before the start of repayment.

Aid for graduation is provided as an interest-free government loan (full loan).

For students, the offices for educational support at the Studierendenwerke are responsible for BAföG applications. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the offices belong to the respective university.

Educational support is granted on written application from the month of application, but at the earliest from the start of the course and under no circumstances retroactively. You should therefore submit your application as early as possible, around 6 to 8 weeks before the start of the school or semester. You can use the ‘BAföG Digital’ application assistant for this. A configurator is used to compile all relevant forms into an application with simple questions. A dynamic form assistant ensures that only relevant questions need to be answered. Help texts support the application process. You can upload supporting documents during the application process or at a later date via computer or smartphone You can track the status of your application online. The offices for educational grants also have corresponding forms available, which can also be downloaded at www.bafög.de.