Further Financial Assistance

• Stipends and Scholarships
• Student Loans (Bildungskredit)
• KfW Student Loan
• Student Loan Fund (Darlehenskasse)
• Child Benefits
• Housing Benefits

A large number of foundations provide financial support for students. For information, lists, and research materials on the topic, please refer here to the pages of the Deutsches Studentenwerk.

For students in advanced studies (Hauptstudium), additional studies (Zusatzstudium), further studies (Aufbaustudium), it is possible to receive a student loan (Bildungskredit) from the Federal Administrative Office (Bundesverwaltungsamt). The goal of this loan is to facilitate education and training. It is limited to 300 Euros per months for up to 24 months.

The loan is made independent of the wealth and income of the person in education or training and his or her parents. A guarantee for the loan and a report on expenditures are not required. It is not relevant whether the person receives BAföG, nor is it relevant whether the person is entitled to BAföG. The education or training, however, must be one which is eligible to be financed by BAföG.

The Bildungskredit and the KfW student loan (as discussed below) are two different loan options.

Students studying for their first degree (Erststudium) can apply for a KfW Bank (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau – KFW) student loan aimed towards providing enough money for costs of living and studies. One can apply for a student loan with interest between 100 and 600 Euros monthly. The Studentenwerk Potsdam does not process KFW student loans. The partner closest to you can be found at the Online Portal of the KFW Bank.

Students who find themselves in a difficult financial situation through no fault of their own can apply for a hardship loan (Härtefalldarlehen) up to 500 Euros. One must substantiate claims of need. Hardships include problems with BAföG payment through no fault of the applicant or costs for non-planned situations such as illness.

To assist you in financing your first degree (Erststudium) at state universities, the Studentenwerk Potsdam provides a student loan for a maximum of 12 months or an amount of 6,000 Euros. One must apply for the loan. A legal claim to a loan does not exist. The loan is as if by a bank and as a rule a guarantee for the loan is required. A loan is not allowed when the student has other means of financing his or her studies, e.g. a Bildungskredit.

Under the BAföG system, child benefits are not considered to be income and are paid for children born after 01 January 1983 only until the end of the child’s 25th year of life. Exceptions are made for those children who had reached the end of their 25th or 26th year of life in 2006. These children receive child benefits until the end of their 27th year of life. Children who in 2006 reached the end of their 24th year of life receive child benefits until the end of their 26th year of life. From these dates onward, child benefits are only paid when education had been postponed due to basic military service or alternative civil service.

As a rule, child benefits are paid to the parents who are charged with assisting their children. However, if the parent or parents do not pay assistance to the student or pay less than the child benefit, the child can apply for direct payment or for payment to the person who actually pays assistance.

When students receiving child benefits have income (BAföG is considered here to be income, including the grant part), then the gross income limit is 7,680 Euros. From this income, advertising costs (Werbekosten) and other deductions such as social insurance contributions can be deducted. When one receives 530 Euros in BAföG per month and has an income of 400 Euros per month through a mini-job, then child benefits will not be cut. For more information, please refer to the information brochure Kindergeld 2007 (in German) and information from the family benefits office (in German; Familienkasse).

As a rule, if one receives BAföG, then one does not receive housing benefits. This also applies in cases in which a student is entitled to BAföG but does not receive it because his or her parents’ income is too high. An exception is made when a basic entitlement is no longer granted, such as when BAföG is not granted due to lacking certificates of proof of achievement, after the end of the longest possible period of assistance, or due to a unaccepted change in programme of studies, as is merited.