BAföG (federal student aid)
One way to finance your studies are the combined grant-loans provided according to the Federal Student Financing Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz) - BAföG.
The goal is to give young people financial support in order to enable them to complete the educational or vocational training they desire - regardless of their social and economic situation.
Personal requirements
German students are eligible. Usually, only one education will be funded by BAföG. This must be started before you turn 30.
A Master’s program that builds on a Bachelor’s program can also be supported. This must be started before you turn 35. After this, BAföG support is only possible in exceptional cases.
Under certain conditions, foreign students can also receive BAföG.
Amount of funding
The funding amount is calculated individually. Whether you receive BAföG support and how much will mostly depend on your parents’ income and your own financial situation. In addition, it depends on your nationality, your age, your educational history, and whether you have reached the maximum period of funding. The maximum period of funding is oriented on the standard period of study.
You should ask for individual advice.
Application and deadlines
For students in their first semester, the funding starts in the month in which lectures begin. In order for the money to be transferred on time, the application must have been received at the latest on the last business day of the same month to the Grants Office. To meet the deadline, an informal written application is sufficient. The respective documents and forms need to be submitted at a later date.
If the application is submitted later, the funding is only approved as of the month in which the application is submitted.
We recommend submitting the application in person to the Grants Office at the University of Hohenheim. Any questions can then be clarified directly.
Repaying the loan
Half of BAföG is given as a grant and the other half as an interest-free loan. Five years after the end of the maximum period of funding, the loan is to be repaid in appropriate rates (usually 105€ per month).
The loan that must be repaid is at most 10,000€.