Schüler BAföG: What is it?

Only very few people know what BAföG for school pupils is. Most people only know about BAföG for students. In this article, you will find out which students are eligible for the state subsidy, what the benefits are and how to apply for it.

Pupil BAföG: What is important?

If parents cannot finance their children’s education, there is the possibility to apply for Schüler-BAföG. You must meet these requirements for the application:

• For the granting of a Schüler-BAföG, it depends on the type of school. Attendance at schools such as vocational colleges, technical colleges that do not require prior vocational training, as well as attendance at a Gymnasium, Realschule, Gesamtschule and Hauptschule from the 10th grade onwards are only eligible for assistance if the pupil no longer lives with his or her parents.

• Another requirement is that a pupil is either married or divorced, has children of his or her own or that the place of education is too far away from the parents’ home. As a pupil, you live too far away if you have to spend more than 2 hours travelling there and back at least three times a week.

• Without further requirements, attendance of vocational school or vocational college without prior vocational training with a training period of at least 2 years with a qualified qualification is supported.

• According to the Federal Promotion Act (BAföG § 2 Para. 1.4.), postgraduate vocational school, college, academy as well as higher technical college or university of applied sciences are also promoted without further conditions.

• When attending an Abendhauptschule, Abendrealschule, Berufsaufbauschule and Fachoberschule with completed vocational training, you are entitled to student BAföG in the last year before graduation. Often there is also an additional entitlement to unemployment benefit II.

• You can also apply for BAföG for students on the second educational path. However, when attending an evening school, funding is only available in the last three semesters.
• The age limit for student BAföG is 30 years. But there are also exceptions. For example, if you work less than 30 hours a week and have a child under the age of 10, you are still entitled to state support when you are over 30.

Student BAföG: How it works

If you meet all the requirements, you can apply for Schüler BAföG.

• Remember to submit your application in good time. If your application is approved, you will receive the grant from the start of your education. If you submit your application later, the start date of the grant will be postponed to the month in which the application was submitted (§ 15 Para. 1 BAföG).

• You can submit the application either by application form or digitally via www.bafoeg-digital.de. However, the online solution is only possible if you live in Berlin, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate or Saxony-Anhalt.

• For the application, you will need proof of income from your parents.

• You will also need the tax assessment notice from the calendar year before last, alternatively the electronic income tax certificate from the calendar year before last or unemployment certificates.

• For the pupil BAföG, no benefit certificates are required. You therefore do not need to complete Form 5.

• The great advantage of student BAföG is that you normally receive it as a full grant. This means the money does not have to be paid back.

• Exceptions are trainees at a higher vocational school or academy. They each receive half a grant and half a non-interest-bearing loan. The loan must be repaid in quarterly instalments after completion of the training.

• The maximum duration for the payment of Schüler BAföG is the duration of the training. However, the education grant is usually approved per school year.

• If you have problems with the application, there are various ways to contact us.