At a glance
The following information is designed to help you find your way around and only represents a typical case. The Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) may, however, lay down other conditions and exceptions, which is why individual advice is essential.
The make-up of BAföG
BAföG comes in the form of a grant (50 percent) and an interest-free loan (the other 50 percent). At the end of your course, you therefore have to repay half the money that you have received.
The basic need for students is €511 (living with parents) or €812 (not living with parents). The need of school students is 632€.
The health and long-term care insurance supplement totals €122. (KV 94 EUR, PV 28 EUR).
Who is entitled to apply?
German students; in certain conditions, foreign students may receive BAföG too. The Federal Training Assistance Act normally only provides support for one course of studies. You must start it before your 45th birthday.
Support is also available for those wishing to complete a master’s degree after passing their bachelor’s. You must start this before your 45th birthday, too. After this, BAföG is only available in exceptional cases.
When and how do I apply (initial and ongoing application)?
Training grants are paid from the month of application, at the earliest from the start of training. The application should therefore be submitted in good time.
Initial applications (usually for first-year students) should be submitted at the latest at the time of admission or enrollment at the university. The application can also be submitted before admission to studies, the earlier the better. Applications for further funding should be submitted in substantially full two months before the end of the current funding period.
BAföG forms can be downloaded from this website (forms for download) and sent to us by mail or fax. Or you can use the advantages of BAföGDigital (link). You are also welcome to send us documents by mail (preferably as pdf-files, please no zip-files). Please note, however, that sending documents by e-mail is not secure from a data protection point of view.
How is the support calculated?
The individual level of support is governed by needs and the student’s allowable income and assets and by the income of the student’s parents/marriage partner.
Educational support normally depends on the income of the parents/the marriage partner from the last but one calendar year. The current income can be used as the basis in special cases, if a request is made.
In special cases, BAföG can be granted without any reference to parents.
When calculating the assets, their value at the time of the application is relevant. The assets include current bank accounts, savings accounts, building savings accounts, securities, cars and investment funds. The assets allowance for students is 15.000 Euro. For students aged 30 and over, there is even an allowance of 45.000 Euro. If the assets are greater than the allowance, this amount will be included in the calculations.
Any reduction or increase in assets between the time that the application is made and the end of the entitlement period will not be taken into account.
May I receive other income in addition to BAföG?
Jobbing is possible. BAföG is not reduced if students earn less than € 6,240 during the period of eligibility (two semesters).
two semesters. A mini-job (520-euro job) is therefore possible. If the income exceeds this, the BAföG is reduced proportionally.
A different income calculation applies when completing a compulsory internship.
Different income calculations are used for people completing obligatory work experience. Child allowance is not regarded as income. The allowances are higher for married people and/or students with children. (See question below).
What do I need to note if I change course?
There are normally no problems if you change your course within the first two semesters. In these cases, the law presumes that there was an important reason for the switch.
A change of course up to the start of the 4th semester is possible if there is an important reason for the switch. In these cases, you will need to provide reasons for this so that you do not lose your eligibility for support.
You should make enquiries at our BAföG offices in good time to avoid losing your eligibility for support.
How long can I receive BAföG?
The maximum time for BAföG is governed by the normal university course, which is laid down in the course and examinations order for each specialist department. The maximum period for support continues, regardless of whether you have actually received BAföG during the whole course. Educational support is only provided from the fifth semester onwards if the student has submitted evidence of achievements. BAföG may, however, be provided beyond the maximum period
BAföG may also be provided for one year in the form of a completely interest-free bank loan as assistance for completing a course after the maximum support period has been reached. This is only possible if students have been approved for the final examinations and can complete their course within a year.
Are there special BAföG rules for students with children?
Can I receive BAföG abroad too?
Support is available for time spent abroad (courses or work experience) if a special request is made. However, you may not simply take the BAföG support, which you receive in Germany, abroad with you.
Different BAföG offices spread across Germany are responsible for BAföG support abroad, depending on which country is involved. You can find more information on which office is responsible for where at www.studentenwerke.de.
Applications for BAföG for abroad should be submitted six months before the start of your stay abroad.
How do repayments work?
The BVA shall provide timely written information on the date of commencement of repayment of the state loan.
Repayment of the loan begins five years after the end of the maximum funding period (= standard period of study), not after the end of the degree programme. The Federal Office of Administration requires repayment. It is income-dependent, i.e. low-income earners can be exempted from it.
The state loan is interest-free during the entire term. However, from a payment arrears of more than 45 days, the loan is subject to interest for the duration of the payment arrears in the amount of 6 percent of the total respective residual debt (not only of the installments already due) – taking into account a possibly effective loan cap to a maximum of 10.000 EUR or (for the repayment of BAföG loan benefits granted for the first time after September 1, 2019) to a maximum of 10.010 EUR. Since 01.04.2020, the standard monthly installment is 130 EUR. As a rule, the installments for three months are to be paid in one sum, thus 390 EUR. The direct debit procedure is provided for repayment.
For further information please visit: https://www.bva.bund.de.
Do I have to pay radio licence when I receive BAföG?
While receiving BAföG you can be exempted from the radio licence. More information can be found here www.rundfunkbeitrag.de
What is an approval period?
Approval period (Bewilligungszeitraum (BWZ) (§ 50 Abs. 3))
BAföG is always granted for a limited period of time – this is the so-called approval period. It starts in the month in which the application is submitted and usually ends twelve months later. In a few exceptions, the approval period may be shorter or longer. To ensure that there are no interruptions in BAföG payments, a follow-up application must be submitted two months before the approval period ends.
BAföG independent of parents
Students can receive BAföG independent of their parents’ income if they have worked for five years after the age of 18 or have been employed for at least three years after three years of vocational training and have been able to finance themselves independently through their work. Students who have acquired their higher education entrance qualification via the second educational pathway can also receive BAföG independent of their parents.
