BAföG is the abbreviation for the Federal Training Assistance Act. BAföG refers to the financial aid you can receive under this law.

Since the legal framework is very complex, you should contact your local student financial aid office as early as possible.

You can receive BAföG funding to cover

• your schooling or
• under certain conditions, for a required internship as part of your studies.

To receive the monthly grant, you must meet additional requirements in addition to demonstrating financial need. The most important ones are:

• You are pursuing your high school diploma on a full-time basis.
• Age limit at the start of your education: You must be 45 years of age or younger (exceptions are possible).

The amount of your BAföG entitlement is based on a set monthly need. Money is deducted from this amount if your parents, your spouse, your partner, or you yourself earn slightly more.

As a high school student, you generally receive financial support in the form of a grant. You do not have to repay anything. As a student at a higher technical school, you receive funding in monthly installments, half of which is a grant and half a loan.

In general, you are eligible for BAföG if you wish to earn a vocational qualification through a school-based vocational training program or a secondary school diploma. However, if you attend a general education school, this applies only starting in 10th grade and only if you cannot live at home. This is the case, for example, if you cannot earn the desired qualification nearby.

The monthly allowance for students is:

• If you live with your parents:
  • 501.00 EUR if you are attending a technical school class that requires completed vocational training, an evening high school, or a college preparatory school,
  • 276.00 EUR if you attend a vocational school or a technical college that you can attend without having completed vocational training, or
  • 498.00 EUR if you are attending an evening secondary school, a vocational extension school, an evening secondary school, or a technical college class that requires completed vocational training.
• If you do not live with your parents:
  • a total of 666.00 EUR if you attend a secondary school providing general education, a vocational school, or a technical high school that you can attend without having completed vocational training, or
  • a total of 775.00 EUR if you attend an evening secondary school, a vocational extension school, an evening secondary school for general education, or a technical college class that you can only attend if you have completed vocational training
  • a total of 882.00 EUR if you are attending a technical school class that requires completed vocational training, an evening high school, or a college preparatory school.
• If you are not covered by your parents’ health and long-term care insurance, you will receive an additional 102.00 EUR or 35.00 EUR, respectively.
• If you have a child under the age of 14 living in your household, you will also receive a child care supplement of 160.00 EUR for each child.

Even if you spend a year abroad during your schooling, for example, you can still receive BAföG. If you spend time abroad, you’ll receive additional payments to cover the cost of your round-trip travel.

The following amounts are taken into account—that is, they reduce your BAföG eligibility:

• The income of your parents and your spouse or domestic partner in the year before last prior to the start of the grant period, if it exceeds the exemption amount. The exemption amount is:
  • 2,540 EUR if your parents live together,
  • 1,690 EUR per parent if your parents live apart, and
  • 1,690 EUR for your spouse or partner.
  • Of the parental income calculated in this way, an additional 50 percent—plus an additional 5 percent for each sibling not enrolled in an eligible educational program—is exempt from calculation
  • In addition, there may be further exemptions, for example, for additional children or other dependents of the above-mentioned persons as defined by civil law.
  • Note: If your parents or your spouse or partner currently earn significantly less than they did in the year before last prior to approval, you can submit a request for an update.
• Your own income, if it exceeds 556.00 EUR per month. In addition, there may be further additional allowances if you are required to pay support to other individuals.
• Your own assets, provided they exceed 15,000 EUR before you turn 30 or 45,000 EUR after you turn 30.

Parent-Independent BAföG: Your parents’ income is not taken into account if you

• have been employed for 5 years after turning 18, or
• have completed a three-year vocational training program and were employed for at least 3 years afterward. If your training was shorter, you must demonstrate a correspondingly longer period of employment.
• are over 30 years old when you begin your training.

If you attend an evening high school or a college preparatory school, you are eligible for parent-independent BAföG. This means that your parents’ income is not taken into account when calculating your BAföG eligibility.

Note: The starting point for calculating income is generally the total of positive earnings. Under student financial aid law, for employed individuals this is gross income minus

• income-related expenses,
• social security flat rate, and
• taxes actually paid, including church tax and the solidarity surcharge.

Child benefit that your parents receive for you is not included in the calculation.

Interns:

BAföG can only be used to fund internships that

• you complete while enrolled in a training program that is eligible for BAföG funding.
• are mandatory—that is, required by your training program—in order for you to complete your training.
• are mandatory and take place within the EU, or
• are mandatory internships that take place outside the EU and last at least 12 weeks.

You must immediately notify the Office for Student Financial Aid in writing of any changes in your financial situation or in your family or educational circumstances. This includes, for example,

• if your income changes,
• if you change your program of study,
• if you discontinue your program of study,
• if you complete your program, or
• if such changes occur with your siblings.

• As a student or apprentice, you attend one of the following types of schools:
  • secondary general education schools and vocational schools (including all types of basic vocational training programs) starting in 10th grade, if you cannot live with your parents due to your education,
  • Technical and technical college preparatory classes (without completed vocational training), if you cannot live with your parents,
  • vocational school or technical school (without completed vocational training), if the program leads to a vocational qualification in a course of study lasting at least two years,
  • Technical and technical upper secondary school classes (with completed vocational training),
  • Evening secondary school, vocational extension school, evening secondary school, evening high school, and college, or
  • higher technical college or academy that awards a degree which is not equivalent to a university degree under state law.
• You attend school full-time.
• You are a German citizen or
• you are from abroad and:
  • hold a permanent residence permit or a settlement permit,
  • are a citizen of the European Union and, as an employee or self-employed person, are entitled to freedom of movement under EU law, or, as a family member of such a citizen of the European Union, are yourself entitled to freedom of movement,
  • have prospects of remaining in Germany, for example, a corresponding residence permit for family, humanitarian, or political reasons, or
  • have already resided in Germany for 5 years or longer prior to the start of the training and have worked during that time.
• Internship:
• You are eligible for BAföG for the internship provided that it is required by the training regulations and, in the case of an internship outside the EU, lasts at least 12 weeks. For stays abroad within the EU, shorter internships may also be eligible for funding.

If you would like to apply online for BAföG to cover your school education:

• Go to the BAföG Digital website and create a BundID user account.
• Use the application wizard to fill out the form fields online and submit your information electronically to the appropriate office.

If you would like to submit a paper application:

• Go to the website www.bafög.de and download the application forms that apply to you. Alternatively, you can pick up the forms at your local municipal office for educational assistance.
• You can fill out the forms on a computer and print them, or print them and fill them out by hand. At the end of the application form, you must enter your name or sign the forms.
• Include the necessary supporting documents.
• Send the completed application forms along with the supporting documents directly to the student financial aid office responsible for your case.

The Office for Student Financial Aid will check the documents for completeness. Any missing documents will be requested. However, this may lead to delays in processing the application. Only once the application is complete will it be reviewed, and the decision will be communicated by mail.

• Incorrect or incomplete information, or failure to report changes, may result in fines or criminal penalties. Amounts paid in error may be recovered.
• If necessary, information regarding income or assets may be verified through data cross-checks with the relevant authorities.

Incorrect or incomplete information, or failure to report changes, may result in criminal prosecution or be treated as an administrative offense punishable by a fine. Amounts paid in error may be recovered.

You must immediately notify the Office of Education in writing of any changes in your financial situation, family circumstances, or educational status. This includes, for example, if your income changes, if you switch, interrupt, or complete your education, or if your siblings do so. 

If the conditions are met, the information provided regarding your income or assets may be verified through data cross-checks with the relevant authorities.

There is no deadline. BAföG is only granted from the start of your education, but at the earliest from the beginning of the month in which you submit your application. Submit your application as complete as possible so that a decision can usually be made quickly.

You must immediately notify us in writing of any change in your or your family's financial situation.

• Completed application
• Certificate from the school or training institution (Form 02)
• If applicable, a copy of the
  • current residence permit
• If you do not live with your parents: 
  • A copy of your registration certificate or
  • a copy of the lease agreement, if requested by the Office for Student Financial Aid
• If you are not covered by family health insurance: Proof of health and long-term care insurance, including the legal basis and premium amount
• if applicable, proof of your own income during the approval period, for example
  • pay stubs from a part-time job or a copy of the contract for services,
  • notice of orphan’s pension,
  • scholarship award letter, or
  • Riester pension certificate
• Proof of assets or debts as of the date of application, for example, a bank statement.
• If you own a car:
  • An estimate of the value, such as a printout from a website showing a comparable listing, and
  • vehicle registration certificate.
• Depending on your situation, additional documents may be required. Please follow the instructions on the application forms. The BAföG office responsible for your case will request any missing documents.