Finance training or studies

BAföG is the abbreviation for BerufsAusbildungsförderungsGesetz. BAföG regulates financial support from the state for pupils, trainees and students. BAföG enables young people to train or study according to their interests and wishes, even if their parents' financial means are not sufficient.

The BAföG office decides on the application for BAföG. It is worth checking whether a grant is possible. This is the case if

• the training is eligible for funding,
.
• the applicant fulfills the personal requirements,
.
• the training needs are not covered by their own income and assets or the income of parents or spouse.

The payment of BAföG consists of two parts: As a rule, your child receives one half as a grant from the state, the other half is paid out as an interest-free loan. Schüler-BAföG is available in full as a grant.

In detail, the following grants are possible:

• BAföG for students
  . Students at universities and universities of cooperative education can apply for BAföG. Both the bachelor's degree program and a master's degree program can be funded. Half of the BAföG funding is a government grant that does not have to be repaid. The other half is granted as an interest-free loan. The interest-free loan portion does not have to be repaid in small installments until five years after the maximum funding period has expired. The flyer "The BAföG - Information for students" is available for free download.
  
• BAföG for pupils
  Students who want to achieve a vocational qualification or a secondary school diploma can also receive BAföG if they meet the requirements. Schüler-BAföG is always provided in full as a grant. It does not have to be repaid. More details can be found on this website.

• BAföG for training or studying abroad
  . Who is eligible in principle and wants to gain valuable experience abroad during training or studies, gets BaföG supplements for the time away. However, the application should be made at least six months before the start of the trip. More details can be found on this website.

• BAföG for students and trainees with family responsibilities
  . Balancing studies or school with being a parent or caring for close relatives is an additional challenge. BAföG helps eligible students with special supplements that are paid even longer under certain conditions. More details can be found on this website.

• BAföG for persons without a German passport
  . Eligible students as well as pupils from the European Union, persons with a migration background or refugees can also receive BAföG during their studies or school years. You can find out more information on this website.
  

Whoever wishes to receive BAföG must submit an application. If the application is approved after review, a certain amount is transferred to the account each month. Your child can conveniently process and submit the BAföG application digitally using the application wizard. All information at a glance, fact sheets, forms and the digital BAföG application can be found on the website www.bafög.de.

Here's the way to the online application:

• for study including internships in the home country
.
• for a school education (including internships) at home
• for studies, school-based training, or internships abroad

If you have any questions, you can call the free BAföG hotline Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.at 0800 2236341.

The student loan of the state-owned KfW Bank is an alternative to be able to cover the living expenses during studies free of financial worries. Financing is provided without collateral and regardless of grades or parents' income.

Your child

• is studying full-time or part-time
.
• is enrolled in a freshman, sophomore, junior, or doctoral degree program at a college or university
• is no more than 44 years old at the start of studies
.
• is a German citizen or has been living in Germany as an EU citizen for at least three years
.

• The disbursement can be flexibly selected between 100 and 650 euros.
• The loan is independent of the parents' income.
• No collateral is required.
• The repayment is made only after the end of studies.
• Repayment is possible until 25 years after graduation.
• The repayment installments (interest and repayment) can be kept low. They amount to at least 20 euros per month.
• Unscheduled repayment is possible free of charge.
• The student loan can be combined with BAföG or an education loan.

Before you apply for the KfW Student Loan, you can clarify your personal needs and check whether the student loan is right for you. For the preliminary check and the digital needs calculator, go this way. If you would like to take advantage of a student loan, you can apply directly online.

For detailed information on the KfW-Studienkredit, visit the website of the KfW-Bank. The most important information in brief is available at www.kfw.de.