BAföG – Financial aid from the state

BAföG promotes greater equality of opportunity in the German higher education system. This government-funded student aid program has been in place since 1971 and has proven its worth to millions. To date, more than four million people have been able to pursue higher education thanks to BAföG. Today, nearly one-fifth of all students benefit from the Federal Training Assistance Act.

BAföG (short for: Federal Training Assistance Act) is intended to help young people finance an education that matches their abilities and interests. Students receive BAföG if their own financial resources and those of their parents or spouse/partner are insufficient to cover the costs.

Student BAföG is generally granted half as a grant (= gift) and half as an interest-free loan. A maximum of 10,010 euros of the loan amount must be repaid in total.

Many students are unaware that they could receive BAföG funding. We recommend: Seek advice from your student services office. Detailed information on BAföG is available here.

Further information:

• Information on the BAföG grant provided by the Ministery
• BAföG FAQ web service provided by “Studis online”

Responsible for Eichstätt:

Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg

Nuremberg Office

Andreij-Sacharow-Platz 1

90403 Nuremberg

Tel.: +49 9131 8002-59
 

Responsible for Ingolstadt:

Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg

Erlangen Office

Hofmannstraße 27

91052 Erlangen

Tel.: +49 9131 8002-900

For more information, click here.
 

Office hours in Eichstätt:

Marktplatz 7

Room MP7-010 (ground floor)

You can find the dates here.

Please note:

Questions regarding the status of your application during BAföG advice cannot be answered on-site!

Housing allowance helps low-income individuals cover housing costs and must be applied for at the local housing allowance office. However, students are rarely eligible to receive housing allowance.

It is worth submitting an application for housing allowance if students are not entitled to BAföG in principle (Section 20(2) of the Housing Allowance Act). On the other hand, those who do not receive BAföG because the income of their parents and spouse/partner or their own income/assets is too high are excluded from housing allowance. In such cases, the parents and spouse/partner are obligated to provide support.

Note: Before you can apply for housing allowance, you must have submitted a BAföG application!

Whether there is no entitlement to BAföG funding on the merits is determined solely by the competent Office for Educational Assistance at the place of study. The negative BAföG decision then serves as proof for the housing allowance office.

Students may apply for housing allowance if

• their education is not eligible for funding under the BAföG (Section 2 BAföG).
• they receive benefits from scholarship foundations (§ 2(6)(2) BAföG).
• the requirements for funding a second, supplementary, or advanced degree program are not met (§ 7(2) BAföG).
• they discontinue their studies or change their field of study without good cause or compelling reason (§ 7(3) BAföG).
• they are foreign nationals and do not meet the requirements of § 8 BAföG.
• they have exceeded the age limit under § 10(3) BAföG.
• The maximum duration of BAföG funding has been exceeded (Section 15(2) BAföG) and the requirements for funding beyond the maximum duration (Section 15(3) BAföG) or for assistance to complete studies (Section 15(3a) BAföG) are not met.
• You have not submitted an assessment (component) in accordance with Section 48 of the BAföG.
• BAföG is paid exclusively as an interest-bearing loan.

Child Support under Section 27 of the Federal Pension Act (BVG)

Eligible recipients are primarily orphans and half-orphans resulting from World War II and children of war invalids. In addition, entitlement to the child-rearing allowance arises where provisions of the BVG are to be applied mutatis mutandis under, among others, the Soldiers’ Pension Act, the Civilian Service Act, the Prisoners’ Act, and the Victims’ Compensation Act.

There is a statutory entitlement to this allowance; it takes precedence over educational assistance under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG).

Students who are eligible for this allowance, can provide proof of a high school or university of applied sciences entrance certificate, and have decided on their field of study, university location, and start date should apply for this BVG allowance immediately and, if possible, before—or at the very least alongside—financial aid under the Federal Training Assistance Act.

You can find information on the website of the Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg.

All further information is available online: www.zbfs.bavaria.de