First you need for that Vocational Training, for which you are applying for funding, must be suitable. Eligibility simply means that you are eligible for this Study are suitable. As a rule, you already meet the requirements with your university entrance qualification.

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Studying until the bitter end?

Say: The BAföG Office assumes that if you have attained the university entrance qualification you will also successfully complete your studies.

But do not worry: you are under no obligation to continue your studies until the bitter end and have no financial disadvantages from a study break. But: The BAföG Office wants to make sure that its assessment was correct and therefore requires proof of performance from the fifth semester onwards.

BAföG supports training and further education - but not all and not all in the same way. The following Article summarize the most important regulations:

Schooling

Even if you are still going to school, you can get BAföG from the tenth grade. This is because the further education of general education begins, which, together with that of vocational training, forms part of initial training as defined by the BAföG and is thus eligible for support. Further general education means that your education leads to a Haupt- or Realschulabschluss, to the Fachhochschulreife or to the Fachgebundenen or general university entrance qualification.

This includes, among other things, the attendance of secondary schools, vocational colleges and training centers of the second educational path (evening schools, colleges), but not vocational schools, which are only visited by a dual vocational training program, which in turn is not eligible for funding (see Grundförderung)

If you are attending a regular high school, real school, etc., or a vocational school or Fachoberschulklasse, you only get BAföG, if you are lodged abroad, for example in a boarding school. In any case, you will receive the BAföG as a grant, which means you will not have to repay a loan, unlike BAföG for students. In addition, there is no time limit for the payments, ie as a student you are funded as long as they go to the training center, even if you have to repeat a class.

Studienkolleg and German courses

If you want to study in Germany but your foreign school leaving certificate is not recognized in Germany, you must first attend a preparatory college Preparation to graduate from college. You can receive student BAföG for this training.

Even if you want to learn German in a language course, you can receive a student grant if you no longer live with your parents. If you still live at home, you can apply for maintenance allowance from your municipality instead of BAföG. Attention: In both cases you play Age not important, but the fact that you as a foreigner are only entitled to BAföG under certain conditions (read under nationality)

Basic funding, first degree, university degree and degrees

In principle, training is only provided for initial training, which is made up of further general education (see also school) and vocational training. Vocational training is an education that provides basic vocational training or professional qualifications, as well as a professional qualification (eg vocational training, vocational school, university of applied sciences, academy, university). According to the BAföG, vocational training is promoted for at least three years, in addition to continuing general education.

But: not all vocational training is worthy of funding, for example dual company training, in which you also have a salary received cannot be funded. However, this also means that in such training (e.g. as an apprentice craftsman) you do not have your basic entitlement to BAföG (according to § 7 Para. 1 BAföG). consume.

However, if you study, you will not be able to earn your basic training subsidy if you complete your studies in less than three years. In this case you are even entitled to a new basic promotion! Whether you get BAföG or not, however, does not matter.

Which type of university you choose and which degree you are aiming for as part of your first degree does not matter: you can get BAföG if you attend a technical college, university or academy, regardless of whether it is state or private. All degrees, regardless of whether they are diplomas, technical college diplomas, masters or bachelor's degrees, are funded. You can therefore also receive BAföG for studies if you already have an in-company training, i.e. a first professional qualification.

Master

The Master's program Has a kind of hybrid position in the German education system: On the one hand, it is the second part of a coupled Bachelor's and Master's degree, on the other hand, it is considered to be an independent one Further Training after a first degree or in professional life. Consequently, you will only receive BAföG for a master's degree if it is based on a bachelor's degree. That means: If you have obtained a bachelor's degree in biology, for example, and now want to add a master's degree to it, then you have a chance to apply for BAföG Success. However, if you have already completed a diploma or another university degree, a master’s degree will only be funded as a second degree in special cases. If you do your masters next to that Job However, if you want to do it, you cannot count on any funding - according to the BAföG, only full-timeCourses are funded so far. Even if you are aiming for an MBA, you can only get BAföG for a first degree with an MBA degree.

Important: Even if you want to do the Master's degree after completing a Bachelor's degree, you must not be older than thirty when you begin your master's program. The exception to this age rule applies only to the Bachelor.

Incidentally, if you have completed your Bachelor's degree and have not yet started the Master's degree program, BAföG will be granted bridging status for a maximum of one month. This means that the funding ends with the passing of the Bachelor's degree examination, even if this is not at the end of the semester. If the master's program is started in the following semester and is more than a month in between, you will have to do without BAföG during this time.

Further education - secondary and postgraduate studies, doctorate

If you have already completed a first vocational training course and have spent your basic training (eg in a first degree of more than three years), you may receive BAföG for further training. It does not matter, however, whether you have received BAföG in your first degree or not! This rule does not apply if you have not yet claimed the right to basic promotion!

Whether you get BAföG depends on the following factors:

The previous training has enabled you to start your desired education. Although this may be independent, but must continue in the same direction, such as: Fachhochschulreife - computer science as a FH diploma - computer science as a university diploma. With a high school graduation this row is not possible, then argues the BAföG office that you would have resembled at the university study.

Your further education deepens in more than four semesters professionally a university study with the same contents orientation. However, you must have completed your previous studies at most one year before the end of the maximum period of funding. You need further education to gain the right to pursue your desired profession, for example in the field of medicine. These regulations apply equally to advanced and additional study courses, doctoral studies and masters. A second study, in which you study something completely different, is therefore not encouraged! Attention: The promotion is only a full-rate loan.

Internships

If your course regulations mandate an internship and you receive BAföG, you can also receive BAföG funding for the duration of the internship. Such unpaid practice units often last a few months, often a semester, sometimes even longer, and you may even have to move for the duration of the internship. So do it Sinnto take care of funding in good time.