Ausbildungsförderung Bewilligung für Studierende

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

BAföG is the abbreviation for Federal Training Assistance Act. BAföG is colloquially referred to as the funding that you can receive under this law. You will receive the funding for financing

• your studies,
• under certain conditions, 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 spouse/partner do not have a higher income.
• They themselves have little or no income, for example from a "mini-job".
• Your assets are below the tax-free amount of EUR 15,000 until you reach the age of 30 or up to EUR 45,000 or only slightly above the age of 30.
• You study full-time.
• Age limit: 45 years (exceptions are possible).

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

If you study, 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 graduation. In principle, you do not have to pay interest on the loan ("interest-free loan"). The maximum repayment amount is usually EUR 10,010, regardless of how high the total funding was. This corresponds to 77 monthly installments of EUR 130 each from the beginning of the repayment. The Federal Office of Administration is responsible for the collection of loans. You do not start repaying 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 take out the repayment of your loan, you can apply to the Federal Office of Administration for a deferral of payment.

When you study, your monthly needs are made up of different parts:

• Basic needs:
  • EUR 452.00 if you complete your education at a college, academy or college (for example at a university).
• Accommodation needs:
  • EUR 59.00 if you live with your parents or
  • EUR 360.00 if you do not live with your parents.
• If you cannot take out health/long-term care insurance through your parents, you will receive an additional EUR 94.00 or EUR 28.00.
• If you have a child under the age of 14 who lives 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 to travel expenses, tuition fees and international health insurance; for study periods in the EU, stays shorter than six months are also eligible; Furthermore, you can also receive BAföG if you complete your entire studies in another EU country; for stays abroad outside the EU/Switzerland, a purchasing power compensation is also granted.

• The following amounts are taken into account, i.e. they reduce your BAföG requirements:
  • The income of your parents and/or spouse/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 apart and
  • EUR 1,605 for a possible spouse/partner.
  • Note: If your parents or spouse/partner currently earn significantly less than in the penultimate year before approval, you can apply for an update.
  • Parent-independent BAföG: The income of your parents is not used 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 (correspondingly longer gainful employment in the case of shorter training).
    • In certain exceptional cases, if you are over 30 years old at the start of the training.
• Your own income, if it is more than EUR 520.00 per month.
• Your own assets, insofar as they are higher than EUR 15,000 by the age of 30 or higher than EUR 45,000 from the age of 30.

Note: The starting point for the income calculation is basically the sum of the positive income. In the case of educational support law, this is gross income less

• Advertising costs
• Social lump sum and the
• taxes actually paid, including church tax and solidarity surcharge.

Child benefit that your parents receive for you will not be 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 have been pregnant,
• have brought up a child up to 14 years of age,
• are or were active in statutory or statutory bodies and bodies of the university, the student self-administration, the student unions or the federal states or
• have cared for close relatives classified at least in care level 3.

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

• the change has taken 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 irrefutable reason for the change, for example:
• a disability or allergy to certain substances which has occurred after commencement of training and which makes it impossible to continue the training or to pursue the occupation previously sought.

Trainees:

BAföG can only support internships that you complete while you are in training that is eligible for BAföG funding.

Only compulsory internships are funded. These are internships that are prescribed by your study regulations or training plan, which you must therefore do in order to complete or carry out your studies or training. Compulsory traineeships completed outside the EU are only eligible if they last at least 12 weeks. Compulsory traineeships within EU Member States can also be funded if they are shorter than 12 weeks.

You can also get BAföG if you complete your entire studies in another EU country.

• Completed application
• Certificate of enrolment with the imprint "according to § 9 BAföG" in the original or certificate of the educational institution.
• Where applicable, a copy of the
  • Id
  • Passports or
  • current residence permit.
• If you do not live with your parents: copy
  • the rental agreement or
  • the registration certificate.
• If you do not have 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
  • Payroll, part-time job, work contract,
  • orphan's pension notice,
  • Scholarship notice,
  • Riester pension certificate.
• Proof of assets or liabilities on the date of application, for example bank statement.
• If you have a car:
  • estimation of the value, e.g. printout from a website with a comparable offer, and
  • Motor vehicle registration certificate.
• From the 5th semester: Proof of achievement from your university.

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

You can receive BAföG if

• You attend a university, an academy or a college of higher education. If it is a private training institution, it must be recognized by the state.
• You study full-time.
• You either:
  • are German or German, or
  • You are a foreigner and for example:
    • have a permanent right of residence or a settlement permit,
    • are citizens of the Union and, as an employed or self-employed person, are entitled to freedom of movement under EU law or are themselves entitled to freedom of movement as the child or spouse of such a Union citizen,
    • have the prospect 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 more before the start of the training and have worked during this time.
  • Note: Since the legal regulation is very complex, you should contact your responsible office for educational support at an early stage.
• You are younger than
  • 45 years
  • Exceptions:
    • You have acquired the university entrance qualification by second chance education,
    • You have enrolled at a university solely on the basis of your professional qualifications,
    • they have been prevented from starting the training on time (and have not worked more than 30 hours per week) for personal or family reasons, in particular because of the uninterrupted upbringing of a child under 14 years of age, or
    • They have become needy due to drastic changes in their personal circumstances. As a result, you were unable to complete training eligible for BAföG vocational qualification.

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. For stays abroad within the EU, shorter compulsory internships can also be funded.

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 responsible office.
• As an alternative to creating a user account with BAföG Digital, you can also register using the online ID function of your identity card.

If you wish to submit the application in paper form,

• Go to the BAföG website and download the application forms that concern you. Alternatively, you can also pick up the applications at your Studierendenwerk.
• You can fill in and print the forms on the computer or print them out and fill them in by hand. At the end of the application form, you must enter your name.
• Add the necessary evidence.
• Send the completed application forms with the supporting documents directly to the Office for Educational Support responsible for you.

The Office for Educational Support checks the documents for completeness. If documents are missing, they will be requested later. If the application is complete, it is examined and the decision is communicated by decision.

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

There are the following notes:

• False or incomplete information or failure to notify changes may be prosecuted or punishable by a fine as an administrative offence. Amounts unduly paid may be recovered.
• They must notify the Training Office immediately in writing of any change in the economic, family and training situation. This includes, for example, if your income changes, you change your education, drop out, finish or if your siblings do so.
• If the conditions are met, the information provided on the income or assets generated can be checked by comparing data with the competent authorities.

• Usually objection
• Action before the Administrative Court

• Educational support Approval for students
• Financial support for studies according to the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG)
• Possible if
  • parents do not have a high income or the requirements for parent-independent BAföG are met,
  • there is no or only low income and assets of the students and
  • Full-time studies
• Half of the monthly funding is granted to students as a grant, half as an interest-free loan
• Repayment after completion of training
• You do not start repaying until 5 years after the end of the maximum funding period, which usually corresponds to the standard period of study.
• You have to repay a maximum of EUR 10,010, which corresponds to 77 monthly installments of EUR 130.00 each from the beginning of the repayment. Under certain conditions, unrepaid remaining debts can be cancelled after 20 years.
• Internships will only be funded if:
  • it is a compulsory internship within the curriculum and
  • the studies are already funded by BAföG
• Amount for students depends on
  • 1. according to fixed monthly requirements for
    • cost of living and accommodation,
    • if applicable, costs for health insurance,
    • children, if applicable,
  • 2. according to the income of the student and, if applicable, of the parents and/or spouse/partner, which are deducted from the needs:
    • Parents' income above allowance of
      • EUR 2,415 if parents live together,
      • EUR 1,605 per parent if parents live separately,
    • if applicable, income of a spouse/civil partner above EUR 1,605 and
    • if applicable, own assets, if they are higher than EUR 15,000 by the age of 30 or higher than EUR 45,000 from the age of 30.
• BAföG for students is exceptionally granted regardless of parents if
  • applicant has worked for at least 5 years, or
  • the applicant has been employed for at least three years after three years of training (correspondingly longer gainful employment in the case of shorter training), or
  • in certain exceptional cases, if the student has reached the age of 30 at the beginning of the studies.
• In the case of a stay abroad, surcharges are granted for travel expenses, tuition fees and international health insurance; for stays abroad outside the EU/Switzerland, a purchasing power compensation is also granted.
• Funding possible until the end of the standard period of study, thereafter only in exceptional cases.
• responsible: Offices for educational support, usually Studierendenwerk of the university visited
• in the case of training abroad, the relevant international office

Please contact the Office for Educational Support - usually the Studierendenwerk - of the university you are visiting.

If you are training abroad, please contact the relevant international office.

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: No

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance required: No

Online services available: Yes