BAföG - News

• "Studienstarthilfe" – apply online
• Changes in BAföG from autumn 2024 onwards
• Wärmefonds – heating fund
• Zoom lecture on financing your studies on 19th September 2024
• BAföGdigital App
• Wärmefonds – Penny and Müller vouchers from October 2023
• New phone numbers in the BAföG Office from 4 July 2023
• Wärmefonds – heating fund
• Digital BAföG Application

Students must apply online for the "Studienstarthilfe" via bafoeg-digital.de. The application platform for Studienstarthilfe applications will presumably be available from September 2024 onwards via bafoeg-digital.de.

Further information on the Studienstarthilfe can be found in our German Studienstarthilfe FAQs.

The Wärmefonds advisory service of the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband in Leopoldstr. 15, room 016, will not be available from 12th August until 6th September 2024.

- increase in the amount of BAföG from €452.00 to €475.00

- increase in the amount of BAföG for accommodation for students not living with their parents from €360.00 to €380.00

- increase of the maximum amount of income which is not taken into account of students' parents as well as spouses/partners of altogether 5.25 percent

- increase in the extra income limit to current "Minijob" limit; from 10/2024 to 556.00€ per month = above Minijob limit

- maximum duration of BAföG support “Regelstudienzeit” + one flexible semester ("Flexibilitätssemester") either during Bachelor or Master programme

- change of subject area /dropping out of your studies can now happen one semester later

- income of siblings under 18 years of age who cannot be supported in accordance with BAföG will not be taken into account

- update of the “Sozialpauschalen” (lump sum for social security) for calculating amount of income

- no deduction of "Kindergeld" (child benefit) in the case of a "Vorausleistung" (advance payments).

- no deduction of payments exceeding the compulsory amount ("überobligatorische Leistungen") of one parent from the parental support of the other parent in the case of a "Vorausleistung" (advance payments)

- introduction of a “Studienstarthilfe” (support at the start of a student’s studies) for under 25-year-olds for their first course of study if they received one of eight welfare benefits (“Sozialleistungen”), see FAQs Studienstarthilfe.

The General BAföG Advisory Service will be holding an online lecture on financing your studies on Thursday, 19th September 2024.

More information can be found here.

The new BAföGdigital App is now available in App Store and Play Store. The BAföGdirekt App is no longer active.

The BAföGdigital App includes the new “BAföG-Rechner”, which can calculate the amount of BAföG you will presumably receive. You can also find the tool at www.bafoeg-digital.de.

27 February 2024

Starting Monday, 2 October 2023, people who apply for the Wärmefonds [heating fund] from 2 October 2023 onwards and are entitled to receive support from the Wärmefonds can receive Penny and Müller vouchers worth €25 each. There is only a limited number of vouchers available.

Every person can receive 2 vouchers worth a total of €50. For a two-person household 4 vouchers worth a total of €100 can be handed out. Families with 1 child can also receive 4 vouchers worth a total of €100. Families with 2 or more children can receive 6 vouchers worth a total of €150. 

The vouchers can only be handed out personally and can be applied for in Leopoldstr. 15, 80802 München, ground floor, room 016 with the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband, provided the Wärmefonds application was/is also made with the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband in Leopoldstr. 15 in Munich. The office hours of the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband in Leopoldstr. 15, 80802 München, are: Mon from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tues from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. as well as Thurs from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. 

Students who can prove they receive BAföG and have their own household are among the people who are entitled to Wärmefonds support.

Further information, also on other groups of people entitled to the Wärmefonds, can be found at: https://www.waermefonds.de/english.

Please note that neither the SWM-Wärmefonds nor the above-mentioned vouchers can be applied for with the Educational Assistance Office.

From 4 July 2023 onwards, our staff members dealing with applications can be reached under new phone numbers. From then on, there will only be one phone number for every team and you will automatically be connected with the next free staff member.

phone number Team 1: 089 38196-1001

phone number Team 2: 089 38196-1002

phone number Team 3: 089 38196-1003

phone number Team 4: 089 38196-1004

1 July 2023