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BAföG + Finances

BAFÖG · Loans + Scholarships · Save money · Part-time work ...

You are here: Start > BAFÖG + FINANCES > BAföG FAQ

BAföG Saves the Day!

BAföG,enables young people to choose the training that suits their personal interests, irrespective of their families' financial means.
For international students, BAföG is only entitled in exceptional cases. The eligibility depends on the residency permit. As the legal regulations are very complex, it is advisable to contact the department directly at an early stage if needed.

Half for free!
Half of the BAföG financial support is a grant, the remaining half an interest-free loan.

The Rest Is an Interest-Free Loan!
The loan to be repaid is a maximum of €10,010.
The repayment period starts 5 years after the standard finishing time of your study program. The loan is repaid in installments, the height of which depends on your income and other factors. If your parents’ financial means are limited and you are unsure how to finance your studies, then this is the financing option for you!

Extension of the standard period of study / BAföG eligibility

The individual standard period of study will also be extended for the summer semester 2021!

For students enrolled in the summer semester 2020, winter semester 2020/2021 or summer semester 2021, an individual standard period of study that deviates from the standard period of study will be extended by one semester for each of these semesters; in order to cushion hardships caused by the Corona pandemic.

The individual standard period of study essentially affects the period of entitlement to BAföG. For first-semester students (summer semester 2021), this means that the submission of the certificate of achievement according to § 48 BAföG will be postponed by one semester and the maximum funding period will increase by one semester.
For students who were enrolled in the summer semester 2020, winter semester 2020/21 and summer semester 2021, the submission of the transcript of records is now also postponed by a further semester, i.e. by a total of three semesters. The same applies to the maximum funding period.

I Don’t Even Know If I’m Eligible!

Based on your documents we can calculate if and how much BAföG you are eligible for. If you are unsure, why not just try?

BAföG is usually granted in accordance with the income of the parents during the second last calendar year. In special cases, the application may also be assessed on the basis of the parents’ current income.

There are no rigid income thresholds.

How Much Will I Get?

How much BAföG you get always depends on your personal circumstances. The funding amount is based on your needs (Are you living with your parents or not? Do you pay for your own health and long-term care insurances or are you included in your parents’ insurances), the creditable income and financial assets of the student as well as the income of spouse/partner and parents. Even siblings may be taken into consideration – do they get financial support from the parents or do they earn their own income? Are they still completing their training?

Personal Prerequisites

BAföG is generally a support system for German students. However, international students may also be eligible for funding.

BAföG is usually only granted for one training, which must commence before the age of 30. Exemptions may be made in cases where exceeding the age limit is justified (e.g. pregnancy or rearing children of up to 10 years).

A subsequent master’s program is also eligible for funding if it is commenced before the age of 35.

Parent-independent Assistance

For students who worked for five years after their 18th birthday or completed a 3-year apprenticeship and subsequently worked for 3 years before beginning their academic studies can apply for parents-independent assistance.

Composition and Repayment

Half of the BAföG financial support is usually a grant, the remaining half an interest-free loan. A ceiling guarantees that students only need to repay a maximum of €10,000.

Repayment of the loan starts five years after the end of the maximum BAföG funding period in the form of reasonable installments. These installments are collected centrally by the Federal Office of Administration (BVA) in 50728 Cologne. Partial waiving of the debt owed is possible in the case of

above-average study results and
graduation ahead of schedule (for graduations until 31 December 2012), or

loan repayment ahead of schedule

Calculation of Maximum Assistance

	WS 2019/20	WS 2020/21
Basic Needs Allowance	419 €	427 €
Rent Allowance -living with parents -living in own flat/shared flat	55 € 325 €	56 € 325 €
Supplementary Allowance for Health Insurance - under 30 years - over 30 years	109 € 189 €	109 € 189 €
MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE	853 €	861 €

Application

Responsibility
The student finance department of the Studierendenwerk Ulm provides services to Ulm University, the Universities of Applied Sciences in Ulm, Aalen and Biberach, the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Heidenheim, the PH and HfG in Schwäbisch Gmünd, the HfK+G in Ulm as well as the Mobile University Riedlingen.

Forms
Application forms can be obtained from the student finance department directly at the universities, on our website or online.

Start of the Funding Period
BAföG is paid from the beginning of the month in which the training commenced, with the earliest start being the month in which the application was submitted. Submission of an initial informal, written application is sufficient to adhere to the deadline. Official forms, however, need to be submitted for the further processing of the application. Filling out the official forms diligently and completely helps speed up the processing time of the application immensely.

Submission
The application can be submitted and discussed in person with the responsible administrative officer during office hours. The Studierendenwerk Ulm also offers personal consultations directly at the universities. The dates are announced through the secretariats and on notice boards. Students who already receive BAföG should submit an application for the continuation of the funding (“Weiterförderungsantrag”) at least two months before their BAföG ends.

Working and Child Benefit (“Kindergeld”) During BAföG

Working
Students may earn 5,416 Euros (gross salary in dependent activity, i.e. 451.32 Euros per month) without having to pay any deductions. Different free allowances apply during practical semesters.

Child Benefit
The "Steueränderungsgesetz 2007" (Tax Amendment Act) reduced the age limit for the granting of child benefit ("Kindergeld") from 27 to 25 years. This revision applies to all age groups starting from 1983.

Financial Assets

The calculation of the BAföG amount also considers the applicant’s financial assets at the time of application (receipt stamp). These include checking accounts, savings accounts, building society savings accounts, investment funds as well as securities, stocks and bonds, among others. The assets exemption threshold is €7,500. Any financial assets above the total of €7,500 are prorated over the funding period. Example: financial assets €10,000 - €7,500 = €2,500
Funding period March 2017 till February 2018. The financial assets above the exemption limit – in this example €2,500 – are prorated over 12 months (funding period). As a result, the monthly BAföG amount is reduced by €208.33.

Warning: Data Reconciliation
Financial assets must not be concealed! The student finance department is obliged to ascertain existing financial assets due to the nationwide data reconciliation with the Federal Central Tax Office (“Bundeszentralamt für Steuern“). The Federal Central Tax Office has records of all exemption orders for capital gains. Applicants are advised to answer questions about their financial means honestly and diligently.

Certificate of Achievement

From the fifth semester in the study program, funding is only granted if the student has provided a certificate of achievement.

(Official form 5)

Changing Study Programs

It is usually possible to change your study program after the first or second semester. If you wish to change to another program at a later time, you need to have an important (until the end of the third semester in the program) or irrefutable (after the start of the fourth semester in the program) reason. To avoid the risk of losing your eligibility for BAföG, we recommend that you contact the Studierendenwerk Ulm for further details. Lost semesters due to a change of study program can be funded with a bank loan until the end of the program.

Funding Period and Graduation Grant (“Studienabschlussförderung”)

The maximum BAföG funding period depends on the standard period of study, which is stated in the study and examination regulations of the respective study program.

Under certain conditions, the Studienabschlussförderung (graduation grant) offers the opportunity to receive funding beyond the maximum funding period.

Exemptions are:
• serious reasons
• contribution to legally stipulated committees and statutory organs of the university and the Studierendenwerk
• first-time failing of the final exam
• a disability, pregnancy or rearing a child of up to ten years

Advance BAföG Payments

If the parents refuse to pay the amount calculated according to the Bafög regulations or to provide declarations regarding their income situation, the trainee can apply for advance payment. For more information, please contact Mr. Jansen (0731 79031-159) and Mr. Oberdorfer (0731 79031-160).

BAföG for Training Abroad

Applications for BAföG for training abroad (“Auslands-BAföG”) must be submitted to the international office (“Auslandsamt”) that processes training assistance for the country you want to go to. These international offices are spread throughout Germany. Applications should be submitted six months before the beginning of the training abroad.

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