Student Support (BAföG)

BAföG is short for Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz or Federal Training Assistance Act. The financial support you receive under this law is colloquially referred to as BAföG. You can receive financial support to fund

• your secondary school education or
• eligible internships as part of your secondary school education, under certain circumstances.

You must meet a number of criteria to be eligible for monthly financial support. The most important are as follows:

• Your parents and/or partner are comparatively low earners.
• You have a small income or no income at all.
• You have assets amounting to less than the allowance of EUR 8,200.
• You are in full-time education.
• Age limit: 30 (exceptions are possible).

If you are in secondary education, you receive financial support in the form of a grant and do not need to pay anything back. The amount of support you receive depends on your defined monthly needs. Amounts are deducted from this defined monthly payment if your parents, your partner or you yourself earn a comparatively high income. 

As a rule, you can receive BAföG if you wish to earn qualifications for a profession or would like to complete advanced secondary education. If you attend a regular secondary school (allgemeinbildende Schule), you can only receive BAföG from year 10 (at the age of 15 or 16) and only if you cannot live at home (for instance if you are unable to complete your secondary education at a school near to your family home).

The monthly entitlement comprises two components:

Basic entitlement

• EUR 391.00, if you attend an Abendgymnasium (independent evening school) or Kolleg (higher-education preparatory school)
• EUR 247.00 if you attend a Berufsfachschule (vocational technical school) or Fachschule (technical school) that you are able to attend without having completed a vocational qualification, or
• EUR 448.00 if you attend an Abendhauptschule (general secondary evening school), a Berufsaufbauschule (advanced vocational school), Abendrealschule (advanced secondary evening school) or a Fachoberschulklasse (technical vocational school) that you can only attend after having completed a vocational qualification.

If you do not live with your parents, you can also receive additional support for accommodation:

• a total of EUR 585.00 if you attend a Berufsfachschule (vocational technical school) or Fachschule (technical school) that you are able to attend without having completed a vocational qualification, or
• a total of EUR 681.00 if you attend an Abendhauptschule (general secondary evening school), a Berufsaufbauschule (advanced vocational school), Abendrealschule (advanced secondary evening school) or a Fachoberschulklasse (technical vocational school) that you can only attend after having completed a vocational qualification

You can also receive BAföG if you study abroad and can also apply for a travel grant for the journey to and from where you are studying:

• EUR 250.00 within Europe or
• EUR 500.00 outside of Europe

If you are completing your secondary school education as an adult learner or mature student, you receive parent-independent BAföG, which does not take into account the income of your parents.

Note: Child benefit that your parents have received for you is not taken into consideration either. 

You attend or are completing an apprenticeship at one of the following schools:

• allgemeinbildende Schule (advanced regular secondary school) or Berufsfachschule (vocational technical school) from year 10 (age of 15/16) if you are unable to live with your parents due to your education
• Fach- und Fachoberschulklasse (technical and advanced technical school), without requiring a vocational qualification, if you do not live with your parents
• Berufsfachschulklasse (vocational technical school) or Fachschulklasse (technical school), without requiring a vocational qualification, if the course lasts at least two years and provides qualifications for a profession
• Fach- und Fachoberschulklasse (technical and advanced technical school), where a completed vocational qualification is required
• Abendhauptschule (general secondary evening school), Berufsaufbauschule (advanced vocational school), Abendrealschule (advanced secondary evening school), Abendgymnasium (independent evening school) or Kolleg (higher-education preparatory school)
• höhere Fachschule (higher-education technical college) or Akademie (academy)
• You are a German citizen.

You or at least one parent was in gainful employment in Germany for a certain amount of time prior to commencing your education or studies.

• You yourself must have been in gainful employment in Germany at least 5 years prior to commencing your education or studies.
• Your parents must have been in gainful employment in Germany for at least 3 out of the past 6 years.
• You have certain residence permits due to international law or for humanitarian or political reasons and have complied with the relevant gainful employment or waiting periods.

Interns can only receive BAföG if the internship forms part of BAföG-eligible education or studies.

Financial support can only be received for compulsory internships, which are internships considered a mandatory part of the course according to the course curriculum. Compulsory internships completed outside of Germany are only eligible for BAföG if they last at least 12 weeks.

Requirement

You receive BAföG as part of your schooling, for your further education and for your internship if your internship is mandatory according to the terms of your course and, in the case of internships outside of Germany, last at least 12 weeks.

Apprentices at Abendgymnasien (independent evening schools), Kollegs (higher-education preparatory schools), höheren Fachschulen (advanced technical schools) and Akademien (academies): the student support authority of the town, city or local authority in which the education institution is located

Young people attending school: the student support authority of the town, city or local authority in which the parents live; in exceptional cases, the town, city or local authority in which the applicant lives

Tool to identify the responsible authority on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

You receive Student BAföG to finance

• your studies
• eligible internships as part of your studies, under certain circumstances

You must meet a number of criteria to be eligible for monthly financial support. The most important are as follows:

• Your parents and/or partner are comparatively low earners.
• You have a small income or no income at all.
• You have assets amounting to less than the allowance of EUR 8,200.
• You are a full-time student
• Age limit: 30; for master’s degrees: 35 (exceptions are possible)

If you are a student, you will receive half of your BAföG in the form of a loan and half as a grant. This means that you will only have to pay back half of your BAföG after completing your studies. The loan is interest-free; you do not need to pay any interest. You only begin repaying the loan 5 years after the maximum support period, which usually corresponds to your regular period of study. The maximum amount you repay is capped at EUR 10,010, which equates to 77 monthly instalments of EUR 130 once you start your repayments. If you do not earn enough to start paying back your loan, you can apply to the Federal Administration Office for your repayments to be deferred.

The amount of support you receive depends on your defined monthly needs. Amounts are deducted from this defined monthly entitlement if your parents, your partner or you yourself earn a comparatively high income.

If you are a student, your monthly entitlement comprises a variety of components:

Basic entitlement

• EUR 398.00 if you attend a Fachschulklasse (technical school) for which you require a vocational qualification, an Abendgymnasium (independent evening school) or a Kolleg (higher-education preparatory school)
• EUR 427.00 if you are studying at a höhere Fachschule (higher-education technical college), Akademie (academy) or Hochschule (university)

Accommodation entitlement:

• EUR 56.00 if you live with your parents
• EUR 325.00 if you do not live with your parents
• If you do not have health/care insurance through your parents, you receive an additional EUR 84.00 or EUR 25.00.
• If you have a child or children under the age of 10 who live in the same household as you, you receive an additional childcare supplement: EUR 150.00 for each child

The following amounts are deducted from your BAföG entitlement:

The income of your parents and/or your partner in the penultimate year before the start of the approval period, if said income is higher than the allowance. The allowance is:

• EUR 1,890 if your parents live together
• EUR 1,260 per parent if your parents live separately
• EUR 1,260 for any spouse or partner
• Please note: If your parents, spouse or partner currently earn significantly less now than in the penultimate year before approval, you can submit a request for updated circumstances.
• Parent-independent BAföG: Your parents’ income will not be taken into consideration if
  • you were in gainful employment for a period of 5 years from the age of 18
  • you completed a 3-year training course and were subsequently in gainful employment for at least 3 years
  • you are, in certain exceptional cases, over the age of 30 when commencing your education or studies
• the income you earn exceeds EUR 450.00 per month
• your assets exceed EUR 8,200 in value

For example, if you have a basic entitlement of EUR 649.00 and

• do not live with your parents
• Your parents are separated and your father earned EUR 29,470 gross and your mother EUR 21,740 gross in the penultimate year before approval
• You earn EUR 400.00 through a part-time job and
• do not have any assets

an amount of EUR 87.11 will be deducted from your entitlement due to the income of your father and EUR 8.14 due to the income of your mother. Your income of EUR 400.00 from your part-time job has no impact on the amount of BAföG. You will therefore receive BAföG of EUR 544.00.

Please note: Income is calculated on the basis of positive income, which under tax law is gross income less

• income-related expenses
• flat-rate allowances
• paid taxes, including church tax and the solidarity surcharge

You can calculate how much BAföG you will receive using the BAföG calculator.

You can receive BAföG until the end of your regular period of studies. Your BAföG can only be extended after the end of this period in exceptional circumstances, for example: 

• If you fail your final examinations.
• If you have a disability.
• If you are or were pregnant.
• If you have raised a child below the age of 14.
• If you work or have worked in student administration, student governing bodies or the student support service.
• If you have cared for close relatives.

If you interrupt your studies and begin a new degree programme, you can only receive financial support for your new studies in the following circumstances:

• If the change took place in the second semester at the latest.
• If the change took place in the third semester and there was a compelling reason for the change. 
• If the change took place from the fourth semester onwards and there was a clear and imperative reason for the change, such as:
• developing a disability after commencing the original course
• developing an allergy against certain materials rendering the continuation of the course or the performance of originally intended professional impossible

You can also receive BAföG if you meet the following requirements:

• You attend a Hochschule (university), an Akademie (academy) or a höhere Fachschule (advanced technical school) (private educational institutions must be officially recognised by the government).
• You are a full-time student.
• You are a German citizen.
• You are not a German citizen but meet the following criteria:
• You have permanent residency or a settlement permit in Germany.
• You are a citizen of an EU member state and are entitled to free movement of workers under EU law or are entitled to such free movement as the child or spouse of an EU citizen.
• You are likely to remain in Germany permanently, for example on the basis of a residence permit granted for family-related, humanitarian or political reasons.
• You have lived in Germany for a period of 5 years or more before commencing your training or education and have worked in this time.
• You are under the age of 30 (bachelor’s degree) or 35 (master’s degree) at the start of your studies.

Exceptions:

• You earned your university entrance qualifications as an adult learner or mature student.
• You have enrolled in a university solely due to the professional qualification.
• You were prevented from beginning the training or education in due time for personal or family-related reasons, particularly the uninterrupted care of a child below the age of 14, and did not work more than 30 hours per week during this period.
• You have become reliant on support due to drastic changes in your personal circumstances and were unable to achieve your professional qualifications following BAföG-eligible education or studies.

If you complete a semester or year of study abroad, you can apply for grants towards travel costs, study fees and international health insurance.

Shorter periods of study abroad within the EU are eligible for support. If studying abroad outside of the EU/Switzerland, you will also receive compensation for relative purchasing power. For example, if you are studying at a university in Germany, do not live with your parents but are insured through them and do not have any children, your entitlement amounts to EUR 752.00 (basic entitlement of EUR 427.00 plus EUR 325.00 for accommodation). 

Interns can only receive BAföG if the internship forms part of BAföG-eligible education or studies.

Financial support can only be received for compulsory internships, which are internships considered a mandatory part of the course according to the study regulations or course curriculum. Compulsory internships completed outside of Germany are only eligible for BAföG if they last at least 12 weeks. You can receive support for all compulsory internships within the EU, without needing to spend a minimum period of time abroad.

You can also receive BAföG if you complete your entire studies in another EU member state.

Student services and the support department of the education institution in which you are enrolled.

General requirements when applying for BAföG: 

• You are a German citizen. 

• You are a citizen of another European country with an entitlement to permanent residency in Germany. 

• You are a citizen of another country or the child of a citizen of another country with permanent residency in Germany. 

• For a bachelor’s degree, you are below the age of 30. 

• For a master’s degree, you are below the age of 35. 

• You do not have sufficient income or assets to support yourself during your education or studies. 

• This is your first BAföG-eligible course of education or studies. 

• This is your second BAföG-eligible course of education or studies and represents further advancement of the first course of education or studies. 

Other requirements may apply depending on the type of education or studies. 

You will require the following documents for your application:

• application (form 01) 

• CV 

• proof of income and assets in the approval period 

• in the case of parent-dependent BAföG: form 03 and proof of the income of your parents and spouse from the calendar year before last 

• proof of rental agreement, if applicable 

• proof of health and care insurance, if applicable 

You should submit your application in the month before the start of your training or studies at the latest.

It takes 4 to 8 weeks to process your application.  

If you are a student, you generally only receive half of your BAföG as a grant. The other half is paid in the form of an interest-free loan, which you will need to pay back. You will receive a request to start repaying your BAföG from the Federal Administration Office around 4.5 years after the end of your regular period of study.

In most cases, the amount you repay is capped at EUR 10,000, regardless of how much BAföG you received. For those who received BAföG for the first time from 1 August 2019, the maximum repayment amount is capped at EUR 10,010. This is equivalent to 77 monthly instalments of EUR 130. Monthly instalments can be lower in the case of income-dependent repayment.

If you would like to make a repayment before the repayment period begins (minimum payment of EUR 500), you can receive a discount and do not need to repay the full loan amount. The largest possible discount is when you make a single one-off repayment of the full loan amount before the start of the repayment period.

You do not have to pay any interest on the BAföG loan and have a total of 20 years to repay the loan. 

The monthly instalments are as follows: 

• until 31 March 2020: EUR 105 

• from 1 April 2020: EUR 130 

Instalments are paid every 3 months, and so each repayment amounts to EUR 390. If you are on a low income, you can apply for the repayment of your BAföG loan to be deferred or apply for lower instalments (income-dependent repayment). If you fail to pay an instalment within 45 days, late payment fees and interest will be charged. 

After the end of the repayment period of 20 years, the Federal Administration Office will automatically check whether the remaining loan debt can be written off. Your remaining debt can be written off if

• you received BAföG for the first time on 1 August 2019 or later 

• you were not in a financial position to repay the BAföG loan in full 

• you met all of your payment obligations and duties of cooperation throughout the repayment period 

Please note: Financial support under the Hilfe zum Studienabschluss (financial assistance to complete courses of study) which can be applied for if you exceed the regular period of study must be repaid in full. This support has been granted as an interest-free loan since 1 August 2019. Find out more information from your local BAföG office. 

BAföG recipients who are completing secondary education do not have to repay BAföG. 

If you are a student, you can start your repayments using the relevant forms or by utilising the online service. 

Forms: 

• Around 4.5 years after the end of your regular period of study for your first BAföG-supported degree programme, you will receive a letter from the Federal Administration Office known as the Feststellungs- und Rückzahlungsbescheid (account statement and repayment notice). 

• This letter informs you how much BAföG you have to repay as well as when and how you have to repay it. 

• It also contains an offer for the early repayment of the BAföG loan and informs you what your maximum discount for early repayment is. 

• Please fill out the direct debit form and send it back to the Federal Administration Office. The instalments will be debited from your account every 3 months on the basis of the SEPA direct debit mandate. 

• If you fail to pay an instalment within 45 days of the payment date, you will be charged interest. From this point, interest of 6% per annum will be charged on your remaining loan debt. This interest is charged until the repayment in full of the outstanding amount. 

• Please remember to immediately declare any name changes or changes of address, as a charge of EUR 25 applies to address location. 

Online service: 

• Visit the BAföG Online Portal of the Federal Administration Office and register on the website. 

• Once registered, you will receive confirmation via email. Follow the process described in the email to complete the registration process. 

• Once successfully registered, you can log in to the website with your email address and password. The online portal contains all relevant forms relating to the repayment of your BAföG loan. 

• If you register using your electronic ID card, you will have access to a larger range of services, 

• including viewing your current remaining loan balance and your current payment plan. 

Repayment dates

Receipt of payment by the Bundeskasse Halle: 

• within 15 days of the payment date, in order to avoid late payment fees 

Please note: If your payment has not been received by the Bundeskasse Halle within a period of 45 days, you will have to pay interest. 

Yes. You receive a discount on your BAföG loan if you do either of the following before the start of the repayment period: 

• make a partial payment of at least EUR 500  

• repay the entire loan 

Discount prior to the repayment period: 

You receive the largest discount on your loan if you repay the entire amount in one go. You will be notified of the total amount of your loan repayment and how much you can save through repaying the amount early in one go in the account statement and repayment notice you receive from the Federal Administration Office. You will receive this notice around 4.5 years after the end of your regular period of study.

Early repayment period: 

• From the date of receipt of the account statement and repayment notice until the day before your first repayment date. 

• The discount does not increase the earlier you repay your loan. 

You can choose to take the offer of early repayment or start repaying your loan in instalments. 

You can also receive a discount if you repay part of your loan early. You must make a minimum repayment of EUR 500 to benefit from the loan discount. The actual payment amount is generally less than EUR 500 as the discount is deducted before the payment is made.

Discount for repayments during the repayment period: 

You can still benefit from a loan discount even if you start to repay your loan in instalments and then decide to make a full or partial early repayment at a later date. However, the lower the remaining loan balance, the lower the discount. In such a case, please submit a request for discount to the Federal Administration Office. You will then receive an offer, which you can choose to accept or reject before the specified payment date.

Please note: Partial early repayment does not result in ongoing payments being deferred; instead, the total repayment period is shortened. You remain obliged to continue making regular repayments in accordance with your repayment plan.

Repayment process 

You can request early repayment in writing or online from the Federal Administration Office. There are two types of repayment:

Repayment 1: You have not yet started repaying your BAföG loan: 

• You will receive an account statement and repayment notice from the Federal Administration Office around 4.5 years after the end of the regular period of study. 

• This notice includes an offer of early repayment of your BAföG loan and states your largest possible discount. 

• You are free to decide whether to accept this offer or to begin repaying your BAföG loan in accordance with the repayment plan. 

• You can also decide to make a one-off early repayment of at least EUR 500 and also receive a discount on the loan. 

• To do so, submit a simple request to the Federal Administration Office by post or using the BAföG Online Portal stating the desired repayment amount and the date on which you intend to make the payment. 

• Once the Federal Administration Office has reviewed your request, you will receive an official notice stating the payable amount and the discount. 

• In both cases, it is important that you transfer the amount to the Bundeskasse Halle by the specified payment date. 

Repayment 2: You have already started repaying your BAföG loan: 

• Submit a simple request to the Federal Administration Office, either online or in writing, stating the desired repayment amount and the date on which you intend to make the payment. 

• Once the Federal Administration Office has reviewed your request, you will receive an official notice stating the payable amount and the discount. 

• You are free to decide whether you would like to accept this offer or not. 

• If you accept the offer, transfer the payment amount by the payment date specified in the notice. 

Please note: The increase in instalments from 1 April 2020 also resulted in a change to the discount table. Exemption periods are no longer taken into account and discounts are no longer granted on these instalments. 

Yes. If you study abroad or complete school education or an internship abroad, you can apply for BAföG, too. 

Studies within the EU are eligible for financial support all the way through to completion. If you choose to study outside of the EU, you can receive financial support for 1 year of study. Support can be provided for 2.5 years in exceptional cases.

Study fees and travel expenses are taken into account in the calculation of your BAföG entitlement.