BAFÖG + CO.

What is the study start-up aid?

The study start-up grant is intended to be particularly targeted assistance. It is granted as a subsidy and does not have to be repaid.

The aim of the study start-up grant is to reduce the financial barriers to starting a degree course. It supports young people with expenses that are typically associated with starting their studies (e.g. laptop, teaching and learning materials, rent deposit). The study start-up grant can be applied for independently of any subsequent BAföG entitlement and is not offset against BAföG.

Who receives the study start-up grant?

First-year students under the age of 25 from low-income households receiving social benefits can apply for the study start-up grant. According to the BMBF, this includes

• Citizen’s allowance, social assistance and housing benefit
• Basic income support due to reduced earning capacity
• Benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act
• Receipt of child supplement
• Young people who are accommodated in a child and youth welfare facility and whose parents do not have to pay any contributions to the program

How does the application process work?

Applications are submitted digitally.

You can find more information on the new study start-up grant on the page BAföG calculator

There are also other important new features:

• The basic BAföG rates will be increased by five percent.
• The flat-rate housing allowance for students and pupils living away from home will be increased from 360 to 380 euros.
• Anyone who receives certain social benefits before starting a degree course is entitled to a one-off study start-up grant of 1,000 euros. It is granted as a subsidy and does not have to be repaid.
• The allowances on the income of parents and the spouse or partner of the recipient will be increased by a total of 5.25 percent. The allowances that apply to loan repayments will also be increased by a total of 5.25 percent.
• The allowance for recipients’ own income will be adjusted so that they can earn up to the amount of a so-called mini-job without it being offset against their BAföG entitlement.
• A so-called flexibility semester is being introduced, which gives all students the one-off opportunity to continue receiving BAföG for one semester beyond the maximum funding period without giving reasons. This makes it possible, for example, to concentrate fully on the final thesis, even if the formal standard period of study is slightly exceeded.
• In future, it will be possible to change subject areas a little later on in your studies without any negative consequences for your BAföG entitlement.
• In addition, the bureaucratic effort involved in applying for and approving BAföG should be reduced. This is to be achieved, for example, through appropriate flat-rate payments and the waiving of crediting regulations.

Source: bundesregierung.de

We process BAföG applications from students at all universities in Saarland,
and from all students attending a school or university in Portugal or Malta.

The prerequisite for an entitlement is that your own income and assets, as well as your parents’ income after deduction of allowances, do not exceed the total requirement.
More about the calculation of BAföG here.

Have you already completed an apprenticeship and/or worked for several years before starting your studies? Then your parents’ income may not play a role. Find out more here.

From a certain point in time and after a change of subject, the entitlement is also dependent on other things (proof of performance after the 4th semester, maximum funding period, reason for change of subject).

Inform yourself in good time.

If you don’t yet know whether BAföG is worthwhile, you can use the BAföG calculator to get an initial overview without obligation before applying. After answering a few questions, you can use it to determine your entitlement to educational support.

Half of the amount granted after the application is a gift, the other half must be repaid later (5 years after the end of the standard period of study) in convenient installments – but only up to an upper limit of just over 10,000 euros. If the income is not sufficient for repayment, there are also solutions for this.

Approval is usually granted for 2 semesters. A new application is then required.

This is easy and convenient via BAföG Digital or the BAföG Digital app.

This requires a BundID, find out more here.

The forms can be downloaded here and then sent to us by post.

No matter which method you use: Please send us your documents only once. This will speed up the processing of your own application!

Unfortunately, we are not yet fully digital in our processing. You will therefore usually receive a letter from us by post in response to the documents you send in. Thank you for always informing us of your new address as soon as possible after a move! We are bound by law when selecting the documents. Therefore, please read carefully which documents we would like to receive from you. A brief explanation of the most important documents and possible confusion, as well as a checklist for all documents, will soon be available here.

The documents we request from you are essential for processing your application. Therefore, processing can only begin once we have received all the necessary documents. From this point in time, you can expect a decision and possibly the first payment after at least 6 weeks.

We know that you are in a hurry.

And that’s why we do everything we can to process your application as quickly as possible! For this reason, we do not answer questions about completeness or processing status, as we could process the next complete application in the time it takes, and that helps everyone.

If you have any questions about one of our letters or about a specific issue, please send us an e-mail with your telephone number and your request, if possible also with the grant number of your decision to bafoeg-amt(at)stw-saarland.de and we will call you back.

Office for Educational Support
Campus Saarbrücken
Building D 4.1
66123 Saarbrücken

Phone: 0681/302-2800
Fax: 0681/302-2890

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Contact persons Office for Educational Support

Service Point:

M. Addo
S.Alshami
E. De Giorgio
K. Kurtz

Phone: 0681/302-4992
Fax: 0681/302-4993

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Enter your last name:Find a contact person

Clerk in alphabetical order

A - Bai
H. Mayer, Telephone: 0681/302-4984

Baj - Boq
I. Herzallah - Otto, Phone: 0681/302 - 4977

Boron - Fn
C. Martin, Phone: 0681/302-4982

Fo - Home
J. Stolz, Phone: 0681/302-4983

Hein - Kd
S. Dorth, Phone: 0681/302 - 4987

Ke - L
C. Jauch, Phone: 0681/302-4985

M - Mor
C. Thome, Phone: 0681/302-4986

Mos - Q
N. Diener, Phone: 0681/302-4975

R - Cut
M. Peters, Phone: 0681/302-4997

Scho - U
J. Schumacher, Phone: 0681/302 - 4972

V - Z
Y. Krämer, Phone: 0681/302 - 4980

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Head of department
E. Veith - Phone: 0681/302-4990

Group Manager/Contradictions
O. Zangerle - Phone: 0681/302-4976

Advance payments/objections
U. Molitor - Telephone: 0681/302-4978

Group leader
S. Ziegler - Phone: 0681/302-4996

Group Manager
D. Kinmayer - Phone: 0681/302-4995

The Studierendenwerk Saarland is responsible for all pupils and students who would like to receive funding for their stay in Malta or Portugal.

There is no entitlement to funding in Germany during your stay abroad.
As a rule, it is irrelevant whether you are on leave of absence from the university in Germany.
Funding can be provided for attending educational institutions that are equivalent to grammar schools from grade 11 (from grade 10 if the Abitur is obtained in 12 school years), vocational schools, technical and technical secondary schools, higher technical schools, academies or universities.

Attendance at other types of educational institutions, such as evening grammar schools or vocational colleges, is not eligible for funding.

A work placement abroad as part of a degree course or in the school sector can be funded for the prescribed minimum duration if:

• the internship is beneficial according to the level of training and
• it is prescribed and regulated in terms of content in the examination regulations and
• the university or the responsible examination office recognizes that the internship meets the requirements of the examination regulations.

The applications and necessary proof for training abroad should be submitted to the Office for Educational Support of the local Studierendenwerk in good time and in full on the forms provided for this purpose, if possible 6 months before the start of the stay abroad. The final certificate of enrollment can be submitted at a later date after enrollment.

If the other requirements are met and the parents' and spouse's income is taken into account, the following amounts can be granted for Malta and Portugal:

Students receive funding (as required) at the domestic rates of up to €812 plus a one-off lump sum of €500 for travel expenses.

Students receive €632 plus a one-off return trip of €500.

The travel costs are divided over the months of the stay abroad and added to the need, so that they have the effect of increasing the need.

In cases of particular hardship, the necessary expenses for a further outward and return journey may be covered.

In addition, all those with statutory health and long-term care insurance are granted € 122 (for privately insured persons, lower amounts (usually the actual amounts) plus any supplementary health insurance abroad.

Verifiable necessary tuition fees can be granted up to the amount of € 5,600 for a maximum period of one year.