Aufstiegs-BAföG beantragen

• Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz (AFBG)

The Upgrading Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz, AFBG) provides financial assistance - comparable to BAföG - under certain conditions if you want to continue your training beyond the skilled worker and journeyman examinations or the vocational school certificate.

Funding under the AFBG, also known as "Aufstiegs-BAföG" (formerly "Meister-BAföG"), is intended for measures that prepare you for master craftsman examinations and comparable qualifications. Unlike BAföG for students, you can take advantage of the upgrading grant without any age restriction. 

Heating cost allowance for recipients of upgrading BAföG

You can find more information on the heating allowance under "Further Information".

What is subsidised?

Training courses run by public and private institutions to prepare for a further training qualification as a

• Master craftswoman respectively craftsman and industrial forewoman respectively foreman,
• Educator, technician,
• Business administrator,
• Business economist

or for one of more than 700 comparable qualifications.

What benefits does the funding include?

• Measure contribution (course and examination fees)
• Maintenance contribution (dependent on income and assets)
• Family component
• Maintenance allowance for each child
• Subsidy for single parents

Maintenance contribution and supplements can only be obtained for full-time further education.

Furthermore, it is possible to take out a low-interest loan from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) to cover the course and examination fees.

Financing is provided jointly by the Federal Government and the federal states

Note: If you have already participated in another upgrading training course, this does not automatically mean that you are no longer entitled to benefits under the AFBG - provided you have not already financed the previous training course with benefits under the AFBG

Conditions

Type of funding

• reduced-interest loan for the 50% contribution to the measure
• Subsidy for the measure contribution 50% and for the maintenance contribution 100%

Amount

• Measure contribution:
  Course and examination fees up to EUR 15,000.00 and up to half of the actual costs incurred for the preparation of an examination or masterpiece, up to a maximum of EUR 2,000.00
• Maintenance contribution
  
  • Basic contribution up to EUR 841.00
  • Increased amount for married persons/partners up to EUR 235.00
  • Additional amount per child for which the participant is entitled to child benefit up to EUR 235.00
• Child supplement for single parents for EUR 150.00 per child

Loan from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)

Type of subsidy

• low-interest loan

Under civil law, this is a (normal) loan. However, if the "Aufstiegs-BAföG" has been approved in principle, KfW may not reject your loan application.

Duration

• Ten years (up to six years grace period)

Repayment

• monthly instalments of at least EUR 128.00
• choice of fixed or variable interest rate
• Repayment in instalments possible

Partial remission and deferment of repayment possible (only on application) in case of:

• successful completion of final examinations
• Setting up a business and taking on trainees/employees within three years after completion of the measure
• low income
• Caring for a child up to nine years of age or a disabled child or a close relative with a maximum weekly working time of 30 hours

Support for the preparation phase of examinations

Maintenance allowance and childcare allowance end at the end of the month in which the last class is held as scheduled. However, these benefits can be continued as a loan for the period between the end of the course and the examination (for a maximum of three months) upon separate application (form G). The examination must be taken at the first possible opportunity.

(Details: see funding module / SAB programme page)

Note: There is no legal entitlement to this funding.

• Application (completed form or online application)
• Documents and evidence

The documents and proofs you need to submit are listed in detail in the forms.

The further training must specifically prepare for:

• further training examinations regulated under public law in accordance with the Vocational Training Act or the Crafts Code,
• equivalent further training qualifications under federal or Land regulations, or
• equivalent further training qualifications at recognised supplementary schools on the basis of state-approved examination regulations.

The course is therefore intended to prepare participants for a further training qualification such as master craftsman or industrial master craftsman, educator, technician, specialist clerk, curative education nurse, business economist.

Type and scope of further training:

• Full- or part-time measure in public or private sponsorship (also distance or media-supported course)
• at least 400 teaching hours
• three years Part-time measures maximum four years

Further requirements

• Degree of higher vocational qualification above the level of a completed initial training, e.g. as a skilled worker or journeyman or -woman, pre-qualification according to the specifications of the respective CET regulations for examination admission

Tip: If the examination regulations of your measure allow it, you may also be eligible for funding as a dropout or high school graduate without prior vocational training; even a university degree at Bachelor level (or a comparable degree) does not generally exclude funding under the "Aufstiegs-BAföG"

• Living expenses cannot be covered by own income and own assets - income / asset limits apply

Income allowances:

• Allowances according to §§ 23ff BAföG, social lump sums and income-related expenses are deducted from the income

Asset allowances:

• EUR 45,000.00 per participant
• additionally EUR 2,300.00 for spouses/registered civil partners
• additionally EUR 2,300.00 per child

Participants of foreign nationality

Whether you are eligible for funding as a foreigner depends on your status under the law on foreigners and whether you meet the specific requirements of § 8 AFBG. Please contact the relevant office for advice.

• Procedural fee: none
• Loan interest

Find out in advance whether you are eligible for further training funding. You can obtain advice on this from the SAB.

Submitting an online application

You can apply for funding online via the SAB's "AFBG Online" application portal.

• Call up the application portal and fill out the forms online.

You can save the forms at any time and complete them later.

• Click "Complete and send" to transfer the application online to the SAB and it can be processed as quickly as possible.
• Applications and forms no longer have to be submitted in original and paper form.
• Copies of identity cards are no longer required.

If you already have an identity card with activated eID, you can use it to legitimise yourself and save yourself the trouble of printing paper documents.

You will find further information on how to apply in the online portal.

Disbursement and loan offer

• The SAB will check your documents and let you know as soon as possible whether you will receive Aufstiegs-BAföG.
• The SAB will transfer the grant amount to the current account you have indicated.
• The Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) receives your application data and submits a contract offer for a promotional loan.

Reporting changes

If your personal data, income or the general conditions of your further education change, please report this via the AFBG online portal using the form "Notification of change to the Upgrading Training Assistance Act".

• Submission of application: at the latest by the end of the further training / further training period
• Payment of maintenance contributions: at the earliest from the beginning of the training (retroactive payment before the month of application is not possible)

see Upgrading Training Act