BAföG

Training grants are paid from the beginning of the month in which the training is started, but at the earliest from the beginning of the application month. You should therefore submit your application 2-3 months in advance. If you have any questions, please contact our clerks. If possible, use the personal consultion.

If possible, submit the application → online to avoid unnecessary inquiries. Save the application so that you can refer to the basic data for a repeat application. Please note the explanations and information sheets for completing the application forms. If information cannot be provided when submitting the application (e.g. about accommodation), “will be submitted” must be entered in the appropriate place.

You can also use application forms download or in the student houses in Frankfurt (Oder) or Cottbus. The → App is available to assist you.

Depending on whether or not they live with their parents, you can receive up to 633 till 934 Euroin educational grants. This amount is made up of the basic need of €511 or €812 and supplements for own health insurance (€94) and own nursing care insurance (€28).

The actual entitlement depends on the income and assets of the trainees (if they are above the tax exemption limits) and the income of the spouse and parents.

Students can 520 EUR gross per month earn additional income without the income being counted towards the BAföG. The asset allowance is 15,000 euros (up to 30 years) or 45,000 euros (from 30 years). In addition to savings and fixed assets, motor vehicles in the amount of the dealer’s purchase price must also be added to the assets.

As a rule, BAföG notifications are issued for 12 months granted. For the seamless transfer of funding, repeat applications must be submitted to our department in full no later than two months before the end of the approval period! Therefore, pay attention to the approval period specified in your notification!

Repeat requests you can apply → online , downloadthe application or receive it in the student houses in Frankfurt (Oder) or Cottbus. The → App is available to assist you.

For application from the 5th semester on a one-time proof of performance is required. This can be application form no. 5, in which the responsible department of your university confirms the usual performance at the end of the semester, as well as proof of the number of ECTS points earned at the end of the semester, according to which you have not fallen below the usual number.

The applicant is solely responsible for the timely submission. Application form no. 5 is available from the Student Support Department in the student houses or online .

In order to be funded after a change of subject or dropping out of training, there must be an important reason or an irrefutable reason. An important reason is only to be recognized if the change of subject or the termination of the training takes place before the beginning of the 4th subject semester. Semesters credited for the new course will be taken into account. We therefore recommend that you seek advice as early as possible before the change is made.

The type of funding does not change for semesters that are not counted towards the current course of study after the first change of subject or discontinuation of training. In the event of a further change, only a full loan can be considered for the semesters that are not counted. Since this is also funding under the Federal Training Funding Act, the known modalities must be used. For this purpose, the trainee submits a written application to the responsible office for training funding. In the majority of cases, those concerned have already been informed by means of references to a previous notification. As an annex to the notification, the applicant receives a contract under private law, which he concludes with the German Compensation Bank.

The following are also supported with full loans:
– further training according to § 7 para. 2 sentence 1 nos. 2 and 3 BAföG (second training is required for the desired profession)
– Help with graduation according to § 15 Abs. 3a BAföG

If there is or was not just an important reason for changing the subject or discontinuing training, but an irrefutable reason (e.g. occupation or continuation of training not possible for health reasons), then the funding continues as a non-interest-bearing partial loan and grant, without taking into account the previous ones Semester.

Bachelor’s degree programs are usually eligible for funding if no other degree has yet been completed and the funding requirements have been met. BAföG can be granted for the period of the standard period of study.

To support a master’s degree, it is a prerequisite that no degree other than a bachelor’s degree has been completed. Funding is excluded if the student has reached the age of 35 before the start of the master’s course.

If you intend to switch from the diploma course or course with state examination to a bachelor’s / master’s course, you should definitely contact our clerks for advice.

For students with children, the requirement rate is increased by the childcare allowance. There is an entitlement for children up to the age of 14. The child care allowance is 160 EUR per child and month and isa full-grant , so does not have to be repaid.

Half of the funding amount is paid as an interest-free loan. The repayment period is a maximum of 20 years, with a repayment installment of at least 130 EUR per month.

The first installment is to be paid 5 years after the end of the maximum funding period of the last studies funded with a loan. The repay is collected quarterly. The amount of the loan debt is communicated about six months in advance by means of a notification from the Federal Administration Office in Cologne. Regardless of the sum received, the repay is limited to 10,010 EUR.

In addition, under certain conditions and at the request of the borrower, the legislature grants a loan waiver in the event of early repayment of the loan debt

Below a certain income limit, the repayment can be suspended on request.

You can obtain information about this from the department for training grants and from the authority responsible for loan repayment, the → Federal Office of Administration Cologne.

A free of charge hotline of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is here to answer your questions. You can the BAföG hotline can be reached on 0800-223 63 41 or 0800-BAFOEG1 (Monday – Friday 8am – 8pm).

A good overview of the most important facts about BAföG is also provided by the → flyer of the German Student Union.