BAföG, actually the abbreviation for "Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz" (Federal Training Assistance Act), is the state financing of studies in Germany.
Half of it consists of an interest-free loan and the other half of a grant - in other words, money is gifted to you. You have to pay back a maximum of 10,010 euros of your loan at the end of your training, or even less: depending on the amount, there are additional discounts for early repayment.
Whether and how much BAföG you can receive depends on numerous factors. Decisive factors include your assets and income, the income of your parents and the number and level of education of your siblings. A BAföG calculator (e.g. here) can give you a rough idea. If in doubt, it is always worthwhile to submit an application!
You can find detailed information here:
www.bafög.de
www.studentenwerke.de
News on BAföG for the winter semester 2022/23
- Parental allowances will be increased by more than 20 per cent, i.e. parental income may be significantly higher. As a result, more students can potentially benefit from state funding.
- Mini-job limit raised from 450 to 520 euros; students with mini-jobs can earn 70 euros more per month without the amount of BAföG funding changing. As the minimum wage has been increased, this does not necessarily mean that more time has to be invested in working.
- The rates of need will increase by 5.75 per cent; in the case of living away from home, by 11 per cent, which means €934 per month for 25 to 29-year-olds.
- Age limits will be raised to 45 years
- Asset allowance depending on age will be increased to €15,000 before the age of 30 and €45,000 after the age of 30
You can find the full press release here.
Contact & Application
You can submit your BAföG application to the Office for Educational Support at your university:
Universität Koblenz
Hochschule Koblenz
Students can also upload their BAföG Application digitally here!
