Apply for BAföG for a school visit

BAföG is the abbreviation for the Federal Training Assistance Act. BAföG is the colloquial term for the funding you can receive under this law. You receive the grant to finance

• your living expenses while attending school or
• under certain conditions. You will receive the grant to finance your living expenses while attending school or, under certain conditions, for a prescribed internship as part of your school attendance (see further information).

In order to receive the monthly grant, you must fulfill certain requirements. The most important are

• You yourself have no or only a low income, e.g. from a "mini-job".
• Your spouse/partner and/or your parents do not have a higher income.
• Your assets are below the allowance of EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30 or EUR 45,000 from the age of 30 or only slightly above.
• You are in full-time education.
• Age limit: 45 years (exceptions are possible)

The monthly requirement is initially determined by the type of school attended.

You are only entitled to BAföG for further general education schools from year 10 onwards if you cannot live with your parents, e.g. because the school is too far away.

If you attend a vocational or technical school in order to obtain a vocational qualification, you can also receive funding:

• If you live with your parents:
  
  • EUR 262 if you attend a vocational school or a technical school that leads to a vocational qualification after at least 2 years or
  • EUR 474 if you are attending an evening secondary school, vocational training school, evening secondary school or technical secondary school which you can only attend if you have completed vocational training.
  • EUR 480 if you are attending a technical college class that requires you to have completed vocational training, an evening grammar school or a college.
• If you do not live with your parents:
  
  • EUR 632 if you attend a secondary general school, a vocational school or a technical college that you can attend without having completed vocational training or
  • EUR 736 if you attend an evening secondary school, vocational college, evening secondary school or specialized upper secondary school that you can only attend if you have completed vocational training.
  • EUR 781 if you attend a technical college class that requires you to have completed vocational training, an evening grammar school or a college.
• If you have a child under the age of 14 living in your household, you will also receive a childcare allowance: EUR 160 for each child.
• If you cannot be covered by family insurance and have to make private contributions to health and long-term care insurance, you will receive a health and long-term care insurance supplement.

You can also receive BAföG if you spend a year abroad during your time at school. If you spend a year abroad, there are supplements to the travel costs for the outward and return journey and, if applicable, for health insurance abroad.

The supplements are reduced if you, your spouse/life partner or your parents have a higher income.

Income is defined as the total positive income in the income tax assessment in the penultimate year before the start of the approval period. The following allowances must be deducted from this:

• EUR 2,415 if your parents live together
• EUR 1,605 per parent if your parents live separately and
• EUR 1,605 for a spouse/partner.
  Note: If your parents or your spouse/partner currently earn significantly less than in the year before last before approval, you can submit an application to update your income. The income in the approval period will then be used.
• Your own income, if it is more than EUR 520 per month.
• Note: Education grants from public funds are fully deducted from the requirement without taking into account any allowances!
• Your own assets if they exceed EUR 15,000 up to the age of 30 or EUR 45,000 after the age of 30.

Note: The starting point for calculating income is the total positive income. In the case of training assistance law, this is the gross income minus the

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

Child benefit that your parents receive for you is not taken into account.

Parent-independent BAföG: Your parents' income will not be taken into account if you

• have been employed for five years after reaching the age of 18 or
• have completed three years of training and then worked for at least three years (if your training was shorter, you will have worked for a correspondingly longer period).
• In exceptional cases, if you are over 30 years old at the start of training and
• you attend an evening grammar school or college.

As a student, you will receive the financial support as a grant. You do not have to pay anything back.

Requirements

• You attend one of the following types of school as a student or trainee:
  
  • secondary general school and vocational school (including classes of all forms of basic vocational training) from grade 10 if you cannot live with your parents because of your training,
  • technical and vocational secondary school class (without completed vocational training), if you cannot live with your parents,
  • vocational school class or technical school class (without completed vocational training), if it provides a vocational qualification in a course of education lasting at least two years,
  • vocational and technical secondary school class (with completed vocational training),
  • evening secondary school, vocational upgrading school, evening secondary school, evening grammar school and college, or
  • higher technical school or academy that confers a degree that is not equivalent to a university degree under state law,
  • you attend the school full time.
  • You are a foreigner and, for example:
    
    • hold a permanent residence permit or a settlement permit,
    • are a citizen of the Union and are entitled to freedom of movement under Union law as an employee or self-employed person, or are entitled to freedom of movement themselves as the child or spouse of such a citizen of the Union,
    • have prospects of remaining in Germany, for example a corresponding residence title for family, humanitarian or political reasons, or
    • have already resided in Germany for 5 years or more prior to the start of the training and have worked during this time.

Note: Since the legal regulations are very complex, you should contact your responsible office for educational support at an early stage.

Internship:

You will receive BAföG for the internship, provided that it is required by the education regulations and, in the case of an internship outside the EU, that it lasts at least 12 weeks. In the case of internships abroad within the EU, shorter internships can also be funded.

What documents do I need?

• Certificate of the school or training institution
• Copy of the certificate of registration or the lease agreement
  

  If you do not live with your parents.

• Proof of health and long-term care insurance with legal basis and contribution amount
  

  If you are not covered by family insurance.

• If applicable, proof of own income during the grant period,
  

  for example

  • Pay slip, part-time job, work contract
  • Orphan's pension certificate,
  • Scholarship certificate or Riester pension certificate
• Proof of assets or debts as of the date of application
  

  for example bank statement

• Estimation of the value of your car
  
  • if you have a car
  • for example printout from an internet page with a comparable offer
• Motor vehicle registration certificate
  

  if you have a car

• If necessary, further documents
  

  Depending on the case, further documents may be required. Please follow the instructions in the application forms. The BAföG office responsible for you will request any missing documents.