Education and Participation

The Education and Participation Package includes various forms of support for school, sports, recreation, and culture. Costs are covered either through personalized vouchers, direct payments to the service provider, or cash payments to the beneficiaries (for example, through reimbursement of expenses upon submission of proof). The cash benefit may also be paid in advance of a service.

The following are supported:

Day trips and field trips

The costs of field trips and school trips lasting one or more days may be covered if they are officially organized by the daycare center or child care provider, or by the school in accordance with school regulations.

School supplies (e.g., pens, paper)

Students receive a subsidy for school supplies each school semester. This subsidy can be used to purchase school supplies, such as a backpack, gym clothes, pens, notebooks, calculators, or arts and crafts supplies. If there are multiple children, guardians receive the allowance for each child every school semester. Recipients of basic income support,Cost-of-living assistance, basic welfare for the elderly and people with reduced earnings capacity, or asylum seeker benefits automatically receive the school supplies allowance along with their benefits. Recipients of Housing benefit and the Child allowance must submit an application to their local municipality to receive the school supplies allowance.

School Transportation (by Bus and Train)

Students who can only reach school by bus or train may be reimbursed for the cost of transportation to the nearest school. This does not apply if other agencies are already covering the costs. A school with a special focus (such as a sports-oriented or language-focused school, or a Waldorf school) is also considered the “nearest school for the chosen educational track.”

Regulations regarding the distance threshold at which a ticket is paid for vary by state and municipality.

Learning Support (Tutoring)

If students need help with their studies, they can receive academic support. The costs of academic support are reimbursed so that essential learning goals (such as advancing to the next grade) can be achieved. However, this is only possible if the school recommends academic support. Furthermore, there must be no comparable school programs or other forms of support available, such as through the Youth Welfare Office.

Lunch at Daycare, Child Care, or School

If lunch is organized by the daycare center, child care facility, or school and eaten together, the costs may be covered.

Culture, Sports, and Leisure (such as music lessons, theater trips, or soccer club)

If children need money for their hobbies, they can receive up to 15 euros per month. To be eligible, the child must be under 18 years of age. The money is provided for activities in the areas of sports, play, culture, and socializing; lessons in artistic subjects (such as music lessons); cultural activities (such as educational programs at museums); and participation in recreational camps (such as during school breaks). Programs for toddlers and their parents (such as baby swimming and fee-based toddler and playgroups) may also be eligible for funding. However, the recreational activities must always serve the purpose of fostering participation in social and cultural life. In individual cases, the costs of necessary equipment may also be reimbursed—for example, soccer cleats if the child is registered with a soccer club.

The amounts of benefits for education and participation vary.

Overview of all eligible costs*:

• one-day field trips with daycare, child care, or school (actual costs—that is, the costs charged by the school, daycare, or child care provider—are covered),
• multi-day class and daycare trips (actual costs),
• personal school supplies,
• transportation of students to school,
• academic support (actual costs—tutoring may be utilized if essential learning goals are directly at risk),
• Participation in group lunches at school, daycare, or child care (actual costs),
• participation in the social and cultural life of the community (for example, in a sports club or music school, up to 15 euros per month)

*Important: Federal regulations form the basis for these benefits. However, the nature and scope may vary depending on the municipality.

What is not covered?

• Pocket money for field trips and outings with daycare or school
• Snacks during breaks
• Leisure activities that do not serve the purpose of participation but are undertaken solely for personal enjoyment (for example, a gym membership)

Individuals who receive the following benefits must submit an application for benefits under the Education and Participation Package:

• Housing benefit
• Child allowance

Individuals who receive the following benefits do not need to submit a separate application:

• Basic Income Support 
• Cost-of-living assistance
• Basic welfare for the elderly and people with reduced earnings capacity
• Benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act

Important: Even if you do not need to submit an application, you must provide proof of benefits in order to be reimbursed for related costs.

Individuals who do not receive any of the benefits listed above may still be eligible for benefits under the Education and Participation Package if they provide the necessary documentation. They should consult with the relevant local office regarding this matter.

To be reimbursed for expenses, you must collect all supporting documents and receipts. These include, for example, bus tickets and invoices from the school for the field trip.

Important: Expenses can only be reimbursed if the appropriate supporting documents are provided. The process is different for personal school supplies. In this case, a fixed amount is transferred for each school semester. To receive this amount, the child’s school certificate must be forwarded to the responsible agency providing the benefits. This is only necessary if the child is under 7 or over 15 years old.

You only need to submit proof of your expenses and do not need to file an application if you receive the following benefits:

• Basic Income Support 
• Cost-of-living assistance
• Basic welfare for the elderly and people with reduced earnings capacity
• Benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act

Important: Even if you do not need to submit an application, you must provide proof of benefits in order to be reimbursed for related expenses.

Individuals who do not receive any of the benefits listed above may still be eligible for benefits under the Education and Participation Package if they provide the necessary documentation. You should consult with the relevant local office regarding this matter.

You must submit an application if you receive the following benefits:

• Child allowance
• Housing benefit 

Exception: If you have applied for a benefit to cover your living expenses (Cost-of-living assistance or Basic welfare for the elderly and people with reduced earnings capacity) by December 31, 2023, this also includes benefits for educational support. In that case, you only need to submit proof of your expenses. School supplies (such as pens and paper) also do not need to be applied for separately. These are automatically paid out as a lump sum along with the benefits. The child’s school certificate is sufficient proof in this case.

Benefits for education and participation are paid only to adolescents and young adults who do not receive an apprenticeship stipend. If you earn money while in an apprenticeship and are not eligible for social benefits, you are also not eligible to receive benefits from the education and participation package.

When you submit an application, it will be reviewed separately for each child. If you have more than one child, you'll need to submit a separate application for each child.