BAföG provides educational opportunities
The Federal Training Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, BAföG for short) has been enabling young people to take advantage of educational opportunities for almost half a century. The Federal Government provides individual BAföG assistance to equip learners with the financial means they need to cover their training and living expenses if they and their parents (or spouses or life partners if any) are unable to cover these costs themselves.
BAföG funding has benefited millions of adolescents and young adults to date. The BAföG Act has been continuously developed and adapted to young people’s everyday lives. Constant monitoring and analysis of current developments in education as regards BAföG and the enforcement of the Act by the competent Länder authorities continues to be at the very top of the political agenda of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The BMBF provides for the necessary adaptation of the BAföG Act itself as well as of related regulations and the administrative provisions that are binding for all the Länder.
The BAföG calculator – now available online and via app
A BAföG calculator is available at the BAföG Digital website. This tool can be used for an easy non-binding calculation of a possible entitlement to BAföG funding without prior registration. Exact answers to the questions will enable a valid result. Explanations and comments are provided to support users.
Calculation results are not binding and do not constitute an entitlement to training assistance in their own right. Only the competent authority can establish such an entitlement.
BAföG Digital: it’s never been easier to apply for BAföG funding!
The BAföG Digital application assistant provides for a significant improvement and standardization in electronic application, which has been possible since 2016. What is special about it is that applicants do not just complete online forms but are given access to an online tool that guides them step-by-step in entering all the necessary data. User-friendly, menu-driven operation and help texts support the applicants; the required documents can be easily uploaded. The editing process can be interrupted and resumed at any time as the data is stored in a personal account. This enables school and university students to check the status of their application online at any time. The tool also includes the possibility of data transfer to follow-up applications. Parents and spouses enter their data via a separate user account.
BAföG Digital can be used with all personal computers, tablets and smartphones. A video at BAföG Digital shows how the online application assistant works.
Link to electronic application
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3
billion euros
was the amount the Federal Government spent on BAföG in 2022.
-
611
€
was the average monthly amount received by university students eligible for BAföG funding in 2022.
BAföG is becoming even better
The Federal Government is working to improve BAföG funding. The government bill for the 29th Amendment to the Federal Training Assistance Act (29. BAföGÄndG) aims to enhance the adaptation of BAföG funding to modern study conditions and young people’s lifeworld. In particular, it plans to introduce a so-called flexibility semester, which will enable students to receive funding for a longer period than is possible today.
In order to provide for greater equity in access to education, the bill introduces a non-repayable one-off grant of 1,000 euros which is awarded to young students from low-income households at the beginning of their studies.
Allowable income deductions are to be increased by 5 percent. This is meant to consolidate the expansion of eligibility for BAföG funding - a development triggered by the 27th Amendment to the BAföG Act.
Editorial deadline for this text: 01.11.2024