Application
In order to receive BAföG funding, you must submit an application to our Office for Educational Support. In addition to your personal details, this mainly involves your assets and current income. Your parents must also provide information. The quickest and easiest way to apply is via BAföG Digital. You will be guided through your application on this platform. Your application will be checked for errors and you can upload all the necessary documents directly.
CHANGES TO BAFÖG
- For example, the application for BAföG Digital no longer needs to be signed.
- The age limit for starting an eligible course has been raised to 45.
- Income from a mini-job up to 520 euros gross remains free of charge.
- The parental allowance on income will increase by 20.75 %.
- The allowance on your assets has been increased:
- up to the age of 30 to 15,000 euros
- after the age of 30 to 45,000 euros
- Increase in the monthly requirement rates:
- living with parents:
- up to 511 euros (without own insurance contributions)
- up to 633 euros (with own insurance contributions)
- up to 717 euros (from the age of 30)
- living with parents:
- not living with parents:
- up to 812 euros (without own insurance contributions)
- up to 934 euros (with own insurance contributions)
- up to 1,018 euros (from the age of 30)
- The benefit rates are adjusted automatically. So you don't have to submit a new application.
You can find details in our FAQ.
Application for further funding
BAföG is usually granted for one year. You must then submit an application for continued funding. We answer many questions about this application in our BAföG FAQ. Remember that you can also submit this application easily via BAföG Digital. You save yourself a lot of paperwork. Use our checklist to make sure you don't forget any documents.
Paper application
At www.das-neue-bafoeg.de you can download the application forms as a complete set of forms and fill them out on your PC. An application assistant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will help you if you don't know exactly which package you need. Otherwise, you can also call up each form directly with a mouse click.
If you would like to send us your application by e-mail, please use the following e-mail: bafoeg@studentenwerk.sh
We also need
- a registration certificate or the tenancy agreement (if you have your own flat that is not owned by your parents or one of your parents. This can also be a student hall of residence or a shared flat)
- the certificate of enrolment according to § 9 BAföG (every semester), alternatively form 2
- proof of health and long-term care insurance (if you are insured yourself and liable to pay contributions)
Important note:
Further templates are available for applying for funding abroad. You can find them on this page under "Application for international funding".
Application for funding abroad
You should submit the application together with the necessary supporting documents as early as possible, six months before the start of your stay abroad, and in full to the Office for Educational Support at the Studentenwerk. In order to ensure smooth processing of your application for benefits under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG), we recommend that you appoint an authorised person in Germany to represent you in all matters for the duration of your stay abroad - for reasons of postal delivery times alone.
It is best to use BAföG Digital to submit your application. You can use your personal account to upload documents online at a later date and send them directly to our clerks. Alternatively, you can also receive each form individually.
In addition, we also require
- Power of attorney
- Expert opinion from the domestic training institution (not required if participation in an official EU exchange programme, e.g. Erasmus/Socrates, is proven)
- Confirmation from the training centre abroad
Note:
- For one outward and one return journey to Denmark, Iceland and Norway, a flat-rate travel allowance of 250 euros each is granted, i.e. 500 euros per stay abroad. Proof of travel expenses does not need to be submitted.
- The final certificate of enrolment can be submitted on site after enrolment.
- There is no entitlement to domestic BAföG during the stay abroad. It is generally irrelevant for the study abroad programme whether you are on leave of absence at the university in Germany.
