Financial support for studies: BAföG for Students of Universities, Academies or higher level Technical Colleges
Apply for BAföG for studies
You can receive financial support for your studies or internship if your parents do not have a high income or if you have already been employed for a longer period of time without being dependent on your parents. This support is called BAföG.
BAföG is the abbreviation for Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz. BAföG is the colloquial term for the funding you can receive under this law. You receive this support to finance
- your studies,
- under certain conditions, a prescribed internship as part of your studies.
In order to receive the monthly subsidy, you must meet a number of requirements. The most important are:
- Your parents and/or spouse/domestic partner do not have a high income.
- You yourself have little or no income, for example from a "mini-job".
- Your assets are below the exemption amount of EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30, or from the age of 30 up to EUR 45,000, or only slightly above.
- You are a full-time student.
- Age limit: 45 years (exceptions are possible).
How is BAföG calculated?
The amount of your BAföG is based on a fixed monthly need. Money is deducted from this requirement if your parents, your spouse/life partner or you yourself earn slightly more.
If you are studying, you will receive half of the funding as a loan and half as a grant. This means that you regularly only have to pay back half of the money after your studies. You generally do not have to pay interest on the loan ("interest-free loan"). The maximum repayment amount, regardless of how much the total grant was, is usually EUR 10,010, which corresponds to 77 monthly installments of EUR 130 each from the start of repayment. The Federal Office of Administration is responsible for loan collection. You do not begin repayment until 5 years after the end of the maximum period of support, which usually corresponds to the standard period of study. If you do not earn enough to cover the repayment of your loan, you can apply for a deferment of payment at the Federal Office of Administration.
If you are studying, your monthly need is comprised of different parts:
- Basic needs:
- EUR 452.00 if you are completing your education at a higher technical school, academy or college (for example, at a university).
- Need for accommodation:
- EUR 59,00 if you live with your parents or
- EUR 360,00 if you do not live with your parents.
- If you are unable to obtain health/care insurance through your parents, you will receive an additional EUR 94.00 or EUR 28.00 respectively.
- If you have a child younger than 14 living in your household, you will also receive a childcare supplement: EUR 160 for each child.
If you complete a semester or year abroad, you can apply for supplements for travel expenses, tuition fees, and health insurance abroad; in the case of study stays in the EU, shorter stays than six months are also eligible for support; furthermore, you can also receive BAföG if you complete your entire studies abroad in the EU; in the case of study stays abroad outside the EU/Switzerland, purchasing power compensation is also granted.
The following amounts are credited, i.e. they reduce your BaföG requirement:
- The income of your parents and/or your spouse/life partner in the penultimate year before the start of the grant period, if it is above the tax-free amount.
The tax-free amount is:
- EUR 2,415 if your parents live together,
- EUR 1,605 per parent if your parents live separately, and
- EUR 1,605 for a possible spouse/life partner.
- Note: If your parents or spouse/life partner currently earn significantly less than in the year before last before you were granted, you can apply for an update.
- BaföG independent of parents: Your parents' income will not be taken into account if you
- have been gainfully employed for five years after reaching the age of 18, or
- you have completed a three-year training program and have been gainfully employed for at least three years (if you have completed a shorter training program, you must have been gainfully employed for a correspondingly longer period).
- In certain exceptional cases, if you are over 30 years old when you start your training.
- Your own income, if it exceeds EUR 520.00 per month.
- Your own assets, insofar as they are higher than EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30 or higher than EUR 45,000 from the age of 30.
Note: The starting point for calculating income is always the sum of positive income. In the case of training assistance law, this is the gross income less the
- income-related expenses,
- social lump sum and the
- taxes actually paid, including church tax and solidarity surcharge.
Child benefit that your parents receive for you is not counted.
For how long is Bafög granted?
You can receive BaföG until the end of the standard period of study. Only in exceptional cases can your BaföG be extended thereafter, for example if you
- have failed the final examination for the first time,
- have a disability,
- are or were pregnant,
- have raised a child up to the age of 14,
- are or have been active in committees and bodies of the university, the student self-administration, the student unions or the federal states as provided for by law or the articles of association, or
- have cared for close relatives classified in care degree 3 or higher.
If you drop out of a course of study and start another course of study (“change of course of study”), your new course of study can only be supported if
- the change has taken place in the 2nd semester at the latest, or
- the change has taken place in the 3rd semester and there is an important reason for the change or
- the change follows from the 4th semester and there was an unavoidable reason for the change, for example:
- a disability or allergy to certain substances which occurred after the start of the training and which makes it impossible to continue the training or to pursue the profession previously pursued.
How is an internship supported?
BaföG can only support internships that you complete while you are in an education that is eligible for support under BaföG. Only mandatory internships are eligible for funding. These are internships that are required by your study regulations or training plan, i.e. that you have to do in order to complete your studies or training. Compulsory internships that are completed outside the EU are only eligible if they last at least 12 weeks. Compulsory internships within EU member states can also be funded if they are shorter than 12 weeks.
You can also receive BaföG if you complete your entire studies abroad in the EU.
What are the prerequisites?
You can receive BaföG if
Internship:
You will receive BAföG for the internship provided that this is required by the training regulations and, in the case of internships outside the EU, lasts at least 12 weeks. In the case of internships abroad within the EU, shorter mandatory internships can also be funded.
Which documents are required?
- Completed application
- Certificate of enrollment with the imprint "nach § 9 BAföG" in the original or certificate of the educational institution.
- If applicable, copy of the
- Identity card,
- passport or
- current residence permit.
- If you do not live with your parents: Copy of
- the tenancy agreement or
- the certificate of registration.
- If you are not covered by family insurance: Proof of health and long-term care insurance with legal basis and contribution amount.
- If applicable, proof of your own income during the grant period, for example
- Wage statement, part-time job, contract for work,
- Orphan's pension certificate,
- Scholarship notification,
- Riester pension certificate.
- Proof of assets or debts on the day of application, for example bank statement.
- If you have a car:
- Estimate of value, for example printout from an Internet site with a comparable offer, and
- Motor vehicle registration certificate.
- From the 5th semester: performance report from your university.
Depending on the case, further documents may be necessary. Please follow the instructions in the application forms. The BAföG office responsible for you will request any missing documents.
Are there costs involved?
There are no costs involved.
What is the application procedure?
If you would like to apply for BAföG for your studies online:
- Register with BAföG Digital and create a "simple" user account.
- Fill in the form data fields online using the application wizard and send your data electronically to the relevant office.
- As an alternative to creating a user account at BAföG Digital, you can also register using the online ID function of your ID card.
If you would like to submit the application in paper form,
- Go to the BAföG website and download the relevant forms: https://www.bafoeg-digital.de/page.xhtml?view=/BAFOEG/downloads.xhtml.
Alternatively, you can pick up the forms at your student union.
- You can fill out the forms on your computer and print them out, or print them out and fill them out by hand. You must fill in your name at the bottom of the application form.
- Attach the necessary supporting documents.
- Send the completed application forms with the supporting documents directly to your local Office of Student Financial Aid.
The Office for Educational Support will check the documents for completeness. If documents are missing, they will be requested. If the application is complete, it will be checked and the decision will be communicated.
How long does processing take?
A processing time of 4 to 6 weeks is to be expected.
If, on presentation of the complete documents
- the necessary findings cannot be made by the Office within 6 calendar weeks, or
- payments cannot be made within 10 calendar weeks,
the Office shall make an advance payment up to the amount of four-fifths of the estimated monthly needs.
What are the relevant deadlines?
None, but BAföG is only granted from the start of your studies, but at the earliest from the month in which you submit your application. Submit your application as completely as possible, then a decision on your application can usually be made quickly.
What conditions must be observed?
There are the following notes:
- False or incomplete information or failure to report changes may be prosecuted or punished as an administrative offense with a fine. Any amounts wrongly paid maybe recovered.
- You must immediately notify the Office of Training in writing or electronically of any changes in your economic situation or family and educational circumstances. This includes, for example, if your income changes, if you change, discontinue or terminate your education, or if your siblings do so.
- If the preconditions are met, the information provided on the income earned or assets can be checked by comparing data at the relevant offices.
What legal assistance is available?
- As a rule, objection
- Action before the administrative court
In which languages is the service available?
BAföG Digital is currently available in German.
Financial support for school attendance: BAföG for Students of second-level institutions
Apply for BAföG for a school visit
You can receive financial support for your school attendance or an internship if your parents do not have a high income or if you have already been employed for a longer period of time without being dependent on your parents. This support is called BAföG
BAföG is the abbreviation for Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz. BAföG is the colloquial term for the funding you can receive under this law. You receive this support to finance
- your school attendance or
- under certain conditions, a prescribed internship within the framework of your school attendance.
In order to receive the monthly grant, you must meet a number of requirements. The most important are:
- Your parents and/or spouse/domestic partner do not have a high income.
- You yourself have little or no income, for example from a "mini-job".
- Your assets are below the exemption amount of EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30 or EUR 45,000 from the age of 30 or only slightly above.
- You are working towards your school-leaving qualification full-time.
- Age limit: 45 years (exceptions are possible)
How is BAföG calculated?
The amount of your BAföG is based on a fixed monthly need. Money is deducted from this requirement if your parents, your spouse/life partner or you yourself earn slightly more.
As a secondary level student, you receive the financial support as a grant. You do not have to pay anything back.
In principle, if you want to obtain a vocational qualification or a secondary school diploma, you can receive BAföG. However, if you attend a general education school, this only applies from grade 10 and also only if you cannot live at home (for example, because you cannot complete the desired degree nearby).
The monthly requirement for students is:
- if you live with your parents:
- EUR 421.00 if you attend a technical school class, the attendance of which requires a completed vocational training, an evening high school or a college,
- EUR 262.00 if you attend a vocational school or a technical school which you can attend without having completed vocational training, or
- EUR 474.00 if you attend an evening secondary school, vocational college, evening secondary school or specialized secondary school which you can only attend if you have completed vocational training.
- if you do not live with your parents:
- A total of EUR 632.00 if you attend a secondary general school, a vocational college or a specialized upper secondary school that you can attend without having completed vocational training, or
- A total of EUR 736.00 if you attend an evening general school, a vocational college, an evening secondary school or a specialized secondary school that you can only attend if you have completed vocational training.
- If you have a child who is younger than 14 and lives in your household, you will also receive a childcare supplement: EUR 160.00 for each child.
You can also receive BAföG if you spend a year abroad during your schooling. In the case of a stay abroad, supplements to the travel costs for the outward and return journey are granted.
The following amounts are credited, i.e. they reduce your BAföG requirement:
- Your parents' and/or spouse's/domestic partner's income in the year before last before the start of the grant period, if it is above the allowance.
The tax-free amount is:
- EUR 2,415 if your parents live together,
- EUR 1,605 per parent if your parents live separately and
- EUR 1,605 for a possible spouse/life partner.
- Note: If your parents or spouse/life partner are currently earning significantly less than in the year before last before you were granted, you can apply for an update.
- BAföG not dependent on parents: Your parents' income will not be taken into account if you
- have been gainfully employed for five years after reaching the age of 18, or
- you have completed a three-year training program and have been gainfully employed for at least three years (if you have completed a shorter training program, you must have been gainfully employed for a correspondingly longer period).
- In certain exceptional cases, if you are over 30 years of age at the start of training
- Your own income, if it is more than EUR 520.00 per month.
- Your own assets, as far as they are higher than EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30 or higher than EUR 45,000 from the age of 30.
Note: The starting point for calculating income is always the sum of positive income. In the case of training assistance law, this is the gross income less the
- income-related expenses,
- social lump sum and the
- taxes actually paid, including church tax and solidarity surcharge.
Child benefit that your parents receive for you is not counted.
If you attend an evening school or college, you will receive BAföG independent of your parents. This means that your parents' income is not taken into account in the calculation.
For how long is Bafög granted?
Funding will be provided for the duration of your training. The training and thus your BAföG support ends with the month in which the final examination was passed or – if a final examination is not scheduled - with the scheduled end of the training period. The training and thus your BAföG support also ends if the training is discontinued, unless the training is continued at a training institution of another type of training institution.
How is an internship supported?
BAföG can only support internships that you complete while you are in an education that is eligible for support under BAföG.
Only mandatory internships are eligible for funding. These are internships that are prescribed by your training plan, i.e. that you have to do in order to complete or carry out the training. Compulsory internships that are completed outside the EU are only eligible for funding if they last at least 12 weeks. Compulsory internships within EU member states can also be funded if they are shorter than 12 weeks.
What are the prerequisites?
- You attend one of the following types of school as a student or trainee:
- secondary general school and vocational school (including classes of all forms of basic vocational education) from grade 10 if you cannot live with your parents because of your education,
- vocational school class or specialized secondary school class (without completed vocational training) if you cannot live with your parents,
- vocational school class or technical school class (without completed vocational training), if it provides a vocational qualification in a course of education lasting at least two years,
- vocational and technical secondary school class (with completed vocational training),
- evening secondary school, vocational upgrading school, evening secondary school, evening grammar school and college, or
- higher technical school or academy that confers a degree that is not equivalent to a university degree under state law,
- you attend the school full-time
- You are a foreigner and, for example:
- hold a permanent residence permit or a settlement permit,
- are a citizen of the EU and are entitled to freedom of movement under EU law as an employee or self-employed person, or are themselves entitled to freedom of movement as the child or spouse of such a citizen of the EU
- have prospects of remaining in Germany, for example a corresponding residence title for family, humanitarian or political reasons, or
- have already resided in Germany for 5 years or more prior to the start of the training and have worked during this time.
Note: Since the legal regulations are very complex, you should contact your responsible office for educational support at an early stage.
Internship
You will receive BAföG for the internship, as long as it is required by the education regulations and, in the case of an internship outside the EU, lasts at least 12 weeks. In the case of internships abroad within the EU, shorter internships can also be funded.
Which documents are required?
- Completed application
- Certificate from school or educational institution
- If necessary, copy of the
- identity card,
- passport or
- current residence permit
- If you do not live with your parents: Copy
- the rental contract or
- the certificate of registration.
- If you are not covered by family insurance Proof of health and long-term care insurance with legal basis and contribution amount
- If applicable, proof of your own income during the grant period, for example
- Wage statement, part-time job, contract for work,
- Orphan's pension certificate,
- Scholarship certificate or
- Riester pension certificate
- Proof of assets or debts on the day of application, for example bank statement
- If you have a car:
- Estimate of value, for example printout from an Internet site with a comparable offer, and
- Motor vehicle registration certificate.
Depending on the case, additional documents may be required. Please follow the instructions in the application forms. The BAföG office responsible for you will request any missing documents.
Are there costs involved?
There are no costs involved.
What is the application procedure?
If you would like to apply for BAföG for your school education online:
- Fill in the form data fields online using the application wizard and send your data electronically to the relevant office.
- As an alternative to creating a user account at BAföG Digital, you can also register using the online ID function of your ID card.
If you would like to submit the application in paper form:
- Go to the BAföG website and download the relevant forms. https://www.bafoeg-digital.de/page.xhtml?view=/BAFOEG/downloads.xhtml.
Alternatively, you can also pick up the forms at your responsible municipal office for educational support.
- You can fill out the forms on the computer and print them out, or print them out and fill them out by hand. You must fill in your name at the end of the application form.
- Attach the necessary supporting documents.
- Send the completed application forms with the supporting documents directly to your local Office of Student Financial Aid.
The Office for Educational Support will check the documents for completeness. If documents are missing, they will be requested. If the application is complete, it will be checked and the decision will be communicated by notice.
How long does processing take?
A processing time of 4 to 6 weeks is to be expected.
If, on presentation of the complete documents
- the required findings cannot be made by the Office within 6 calendar weeks, or
- payments cannot be made within 10 calendar weeks,
the Office shall make an advance payment up to the amount of four-fifths of the estimated monthly needs.
What are the relevant deadlines?
There is no deadline, but BAföG will only be granted from the start of training, but no earlier than the month in which you submit your application. Submit your application as completely as possible, then a decision on your application can usually be made quickly.
What conditions must be observed?
There are the following notes:
- False or incomplete information or failure to report changes may be prosecuted or punished as an administrative offense with a fine. Any amounts wrongly paid may be recovered.
- You must immediately notify the Office of Training in writing or electronically of any changes in your economic situation and family and educational circumstances. This includes, for example, if your income changes, if you change, discontinue or terminate your education, or if your siblings do so.
If the preconditions are met, the information provided on the income earned or the assets can be checked by comparing data at the relevant offices.
What legal assistance is available?
- As a rule, objection
- Action before the administrative court
In which languages is the service available?
BAföG Digital is currently available in German.
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