Berufliche Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderung beantragen

If you would like to continue your professional training and meet certain requirements, you can receive an advanced training grant.

With the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegs-BAföG), you can receive financial support to qualify for specialist and management positions or for self-employment. Around 700 advanced training qualifications for higher-qualified vocational training can be funded, for example

• Master craftsperson
• Business administrator
• Technician
• Educator

You can only choose between advanced vocational training courses for which you have the prior vocational qualification.

You can receive support for advanced vocational training in the form of

• Contributions towards the costs of your course
• Contributions towards your living expenses

You can complete the advanced vocational training course full-time or part-time. You can also apply for support for several stages. Your training must be offered by a suitable provider, for example a

• a public provider,
• a state-recognized provider or
• certified provider.

You can receive funding of up to EUR 15,000 for the course and examination fees. Half of this is a grant, the other half is a loan that you have to pay back. If you successfully complete the course, part of the loan can be waived. If you set up your own business, the entire loan can be waived under certain circumstances.

Funding is also available for the practical work you do, for example as part of the master craftsman's examination. You can receive up to half of the necessary material costs incurred, up to a maximum of EUR 2,000, half as a grant and half as a loan.

With the approval of the upgrading training grant, you are entitled to conclude a loan agreement with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Your loan is interest-free and repayment-free for the duration of the training and a subsequent waiting period of 2 years.

You can only apply for contributions towards living expenses if you complete your training full-time. If you are the parent of one or more children, you will receive a higher allowance. Single parents receive a monthly childcare allowance for each child under the age of 14.

If you have other income or assets, these will be taken into account. You must also declare other state benefits, such as unemployment benefit, when you apply. You do not have to pay back maintenance that is paid to you.

If you are a foreign national, you can also receive the upgrading training grant if, for example, you are a

• are a national of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) or
• have certain residence permits or a permanent residence permit or
• have resided in Germany for a total of 3 years and have been gainfully employed.

• completed application
• current registration certificate
• Proof of your professional qualification, for example in the form of your examination certificate or university degree
• Certificate of your statutory health insurance or insurance contract

and, if applicable

• Copies of invoices for course and examination fees
• Proof of cost reimbursements
• Proof of income from employment, training allowances or maintenance payments
• Details of children
• Proof of receipt of financial benefits such as
  • BAföG,
  • unemployment benefit,
  • citizen's allowance,
  • rehabilitation benefits,
  • support for gifted students or similar.
• Passport or passport substitute and proof of residence permit for non-German nationals
• Certificate of exmatriculation in the case of prematurely terminated courses of study
• Certificate of the degree of disability

• You have the necessary professional qualifications for the qualification you are aiming for.
• The training provider must be recognized, for example as a:
  • a public institution,
  • state-recognized provider or
  • certified provider.
• The further training courses prepare you for a further training qualification regulated by public law or equivalent.
• The full-time training course offers
  • at least 400 teaching hours,
  • completion within 36 calendar months and
  • generally at least 25 teaching hours on four working days per week.
• Part-time training offers
  • at least 400 teaching hours,
  • completion within 48 calendar months and
  • an average of at least 18 teaching hours per month.

There are no costs.

• You apply for the upgrading training grant at the AFBG office responsible for your place of residence.
• You submit the application with all the required documents electronically or in writing. In most federal states, you can also submit the application digitally.
• If you complete the application electronically or in writing:
  • You select the necessary forms and complete the application on the computer. Enter your name at the end of the application.
  • You send your application by e-mail to the responsible AFBG enforcement authority orPrint out the application and send it by post with the necessary supporting documents to your AFBG enforcement office.
• The AFBG enforcement office will check your details, decide whether you will receive funding under the AFBG and send you a notification.
• The notification will tell you whether, how and to what extent you will receive funding.
• In addition to the grants, you are also entitled to a loan agreement with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).
• Your loan is interest-free and repayment-free for the duration of the training and a subsequent waiting period of 2 years. This means that you do not have to repay the loan until 2 years after the end of the training.

The contribution to the measure and the maintenance contribution must be applied for by the end of the measure or by the end of the respective section of the measure at the latest. Benefits for living expenses are granted from the month in which the course begins, at the earliest from the beginning of the month of application. Retroactive approval of this benefit is not possible.

There are no indications or special features.

• For disputes about the grant: Depending on the federal state, you can either lodge an objection or take legal action before the administrative court. You will find further information in your notification.
• for disputes arising from the loan agreement: legal action before the ordinary court

• Vocational advancement training grant Approval
• so-called advancement BAföG
• Promotion to specialist and management positions or to self-employment is supported by
  • Contributions to the costs of measures
  • Contributions to living expenses
• Funding is provided for advanced training qualifications for higher-qualified vocational training, for example
  • Master craftsman or master craftswoman
  • Business administrator
  • Technician
  • Educator
• Around 700 further training qualifications at 3 further training levels are eligible for funding:
  • Certified professional specialist and certified professional specialist
  • Bachelor Professional
  • Master Professional
• Prerequisites
  • Previous professional qualification
  • The training provider is suitable, for example, as a
    • public provider
    • state-recognized provider
    • certified provider
• Advanced training can be full-time or part-time
• The measure can be applied for in several stages
• The maximum funding period is
  • full-time: 24 months
  • for part-time: 48 months
• Further training comprises at least
  • 25 teaching hours per week full-time
  • 18 teaching hours per month part-time
• Funding for course and examination fees
  • up to EUR 15,000 possible
  • half as a grant, half as a loan
• Under certain circumstances, the loan or parts of it can be waived
• Practical work, for example for the master craftsman examination,
  • can be funded up to half of the costs up to a maximum of EUR 2,000
  • half is a grant, half a loan
• contributions towards living expenses are only granted for full-time training courses
• Income and assets must be offset against maintenance
• Maintenance paid does not have to be repaid
• Foreign nationals receive the grant if, for example, they are
  • are nationals of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) or
  • have certain residence permits or a permanent residence permit or
  • have resided in Germany for a total of 3 years and have been gainfully employed
• Responsible if resident in Germany: competent AFBG enforcement office of the home district
• Responsible if you live abroad: AFBG enforcement office responsible for the district of the training institution