Ausbildungsförderung (BAföG) für Studierende beantragen

You can receive financial support for your studies or internship if your parents do not have a higher income or you have already been working for a longer period of time independently of your parents. This support is called BAföG.

BAföG is the abbreviation for the Federal Training Assistance Act. BAföG is the colloquial term for the funding you can receive under this law. You receive this funding to finance

• your studies,
• under certain conditions of a prescribed internship as part of your studies.

In order to receive the monthly grant, you must meet a number of requirements. The most important are:

• Your parents and/or your spouse/life partner do not have a higher income.
• You yourself have no or only a low income, for example from a "mini-job".
• Your assets are below the allowance of EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30 or up to EUR 45,000 from the age of 30 or only slightly above.
• You are studying full-time.
• Age limit: 45 years (exceptions are possible).

The amount of your BAföG is based on a fixed monthly requirement. Money is deducted from this requirement if your parents, your spouse/life partner or you yourself earn a little more.

If you are studying, you will receive half of the funding as a loan and half as a grant. This means that you only have to pay back half of the money regularly after your studies. You do not have to pay any interest on the loan ("interest-free loan"). The maximum repayment amount is generally EUR 10,010, irrespective of the total amount of the grant. This corresponds to 77 monthly installments of EUR 130 each from the start of repayment. The Federal Office of Administration is responsible for collecting the loan. Repayment does not begin until 5 years after the end of the maximum funding period, which usually corresponds to the standard period of study. If you do not earn enough to repay your loan, you can apply to the Federal Office of Administration for a deferment of payment.

If you are studying, your monthly requirements are made up of different parts:

• Basic needs:
  • EUR 452.00 if you are studying at a higher technical college, academy or university (for example at a university).
• Accommodation requirements:
  • EUR 59.00 if you live with your parents or
  • EUR 360.00 if you do not live with your parents.
• If you cannot obtain health/nursing care insurance through your parents, you will receive an additional EUR 94.00 or EUR 28.00 respectively.
• If you have a child under the age of 14 living in your household, you will also receive a childcare supplement: EUR 160 for each child.

If you are spending a semester or year abroad, you can apply for supplements towards travel costs, tuition fees and health insurance abroad; if you are studying in the EU, stays of less than six months are also eligible for funding; you can also receive BAföG if you complete your entire course of study in another EU country; for stays abroad outside the EU/Switzerland, a purchasing power adjustment is also granted.

• The following amounts are taken into account, 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 approval period, if it is above the allowance. The allowance 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/partner.
  • Note: If your parents or your spouse/partner currently earn significantly less than in the year before last before approval, you can submit an update application.
  • Parent-independent BAföG: Your parents' income is not taken into account if you
    • have been employed for five years after reaching the age of 18 or
    • have completed three years of training and then worked for at least three years (in the case of shorter training, longer employment).
    • In certain exceptional cases, if you are over 30 years old when you start your education.
• Your own income if it is more than EUR 520.00 per month.
• Your own assets if they exceed EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30 or EUR 45,000 after the age of 30.

Note: The starting point for calculating income is generally the total positive income. In the case of training assistance law, this is the gross income minus the

• income-related expenses,
• social allowance and the
• taxes actually paid, including church tax and solidarity surcharge.

Child benefit that your parents receive for you is not taken into account.

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 provided for by law or the statutes, or
• have cared for close relatives classified in care grade 3 or higher.

If you drop out of one degree course and start another ("change of degree course"), your new degree course can only be funded if

• the change took place in the 2nd semester at the latest or
• the change took 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 that occurred after the start of the course, which makes it impossible to continue the course or to pursue the profession previously pursued.

Interns and trainees:

BAföG can only be used to fund internships that you complete while you are in a training program that is eligible for funding under BAföG.

Only compulsory internships are eligible for funding. These are internships that are prescribed by your study regulations or training plan, i.e. that you have to do in order to complete or carry out your studies or training. Compulsory internships 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.

You can also receive BAföG if you complete your entire course of study in another EU country.

• Completed application form
• Original certificate of enrollment with the imprint "according to § 9 BAföG" or certificate from 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 registration certificate.
• 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 approval period, for example
  • Pay slip, part-time job, work contract,
  • Orphan's pension certificate,
  • Scholarship certificate,
  • Riester pension certificate.
• Proof of assets or debts on the date of application, e.g. bank statement.
• If you have a car:
  • Estimate of the value, for example a printout from a website with a comparable offer, and
  • vehicle registration document.
• From the 5th semester: proof of performance from your university.

Depending on the case, further documents may be required. Please follow the instructions on the application forms. The BAföG office responsible for you will request any missing documents.

You can receive BAföG if

• you are attending a university, academy or higher technical college. If it is a private educational institution, it must be state-recognized.
• you are studying full-time.
• You either
  • are German or German nationals or
  • you are a foreigner and, for example
    • have a permanent right of residence or a settlement permit,
    • are a Union citizen and are entitled to freedom of movement under Union law as an employee or self-employed person or are entitled to freedom of movement as a child or spouse of such a Union citizen,
    • have prospects of remaining in Germany, for example a corresponding residence permit for family, humanitarian or political reasons, or
    • have already resided in Germany for 5 years or longer before the start of training and have worked during this time.
  • Please note: As the legal regulations are very complex, you should contact your local training assistance office at an early stage.
• you are younger than
  • 45 years
  • Exceptions:
    • You have acquired your higher education entrance qualification via the second-chance route,
    • You have enrolled at a university solely on the basis of your professional qualification,
    • You were prevented from starting the training phase on time for personal or family reasons, in particular due to the uninterrupted upbringing of a child under the age of 14 (and did not work more than 30 hours per week), or
    • you have become needy due to drastic changes in your personal circumstances. As a result, you were unable to complete a vocational training course eligible for BAföG funding.

Internship:
You will receive BAföG for the internship if it is prescribed by the training regulations and lasts at least 12 weeks for internships outside the EU. Shorter compulsory internships can also be funded for stays abroad within the EU.

There are no costs.

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 with 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 application forms that apply to you. Alternatively, you can also collect the application forms from your student union.
• You can fill in the forms on the computer and print them out or print them out and fill them in by hand. You must enter 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 the Office for Educational Support responsible for you.

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 in a notification.

None, but BAföG is only granted from the start of training, but at the earliest from the month in which you submit your application. If you submit your application as completely as possible, a decision on your application can usually be made quickly.

The following information is available:

• False or incomplete information or failure to report changes can be prosecuted or punished as an administrative offense with a fine. Unjustly paid amounts can be reclaimed.
• You must notify the Office for Education immediately in writing of any changes in your financial situation or your family and training circumstances. This includes, for example, if your income changes, if you change, break off or end your education or if your siblings do the same.
• If the requirements are met, the information provided on income or assets can be checked by comparing data with the relevant authorities.

• As a rule, objection
• Action before the administrative court

• Education funding approval for students
• Financial support for studies under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG)
• Possible if
  • parents do not have a high income or the requirements for parent-independent BAföG are met,
  • the student has little or no income or assets and
  • studies are full-time
• Half of the monthly funding is granted to students as a grant and half as an interest-free loan
• Repayment after completion of the course
• Repayment does not begin until 5 years after the end of the maximum funding period, which usually corresponds to the standard period of study.
• You must repay a maximum of EUR 10,010, which corresponds to 77 monthly installments of EUR 130.00 each from the start of repayment. Under certain conditions, remaining unpaid debts can be waived after 20 years.
• Internships are only funded if
  • it is a compulsory internship within the curriculum and
  • the studies are already supported by BAföG
• Amount for students depends on
  • 1. according to the fixed monthly requirement for
    • living costs and accommodation,
    • Costs for health insurance, if applicable,
    • children, if applicable,
  • 2. according to the income of the student and, if applicable, of the parents and/or spouse/life partner, which are deducted from the need:
    • Parents' income above the allowance of
      • EUR 2,415 if parents live together,
      • EUR 1,605 per parent if parents live separately,
    • if applicable, income of a spouse/life partner above the tax-free amount of EUR 1,605 and
    • own assets, if applicable, if they exceed EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30 or EUR 45,000 after the age of 30.
• BAföG for students is exceptionally granted independently of parents if
  • the applicant has been employed for at least 5 years or
  • the applicant has been gainfully employed for at least three years after three years of training (in the case of shorter training, a correspondingly longer period of gainful employment) or
  • in certain exceptional cases, if the student has reached the age of 30 at the start of their studies.
• In the case of stays abroad, supplements are granted towards travel costs, tuition fees and health insurance abroad; in the case of stays abroad outside the EU/Switzerland, a purchasing power adjustment is also granted.
• Funding is possible until the end of the standard period of study, thereafter only in exceptional cases.
• Responsible: Offices for educational support, usually the student services of the university attended
• if you are studying abroad, the relevant international office

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: No

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance necessary: No

Online services available: Yes