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BAföG
News on BAföG
Important changes to BAföG:
- 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
For whom and for what is BAföG available?
We process BAföG applications from students at all universities in Saarland,
and from all students attending a school or university in Portugal or Malta. As a rule, only one course of study is funded under BAföG. This must be started before the age of 45. After that, exceptions are taken into account that justify exceeding the age limit (e.g. pregnancy or raising children up to the age of 14). A subsequent Master’s degree course that is taken up immediately after the Bachelor’s degree is eligible for funding
A further prerequisite for entitlement is that your own income and assets, as well as your parents’ income after deduction of allowances, do not exceed your total requirements.
More on calculating 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 also depends on other things:
Proof of performance
From the fifth semester onwards, educational support is only provided if the student has submitted a transcript of records. This can be done by submitting Form 5 or a transcript of records with confirmation of at least 90 ECTS.
Maximum funding period
The maximum funding period is based on the standard period of study specified in the study and examination regulations for the respective subject.
Funding beyond the maximum duration is also available in exceptional cases, namely
- as a result of caring at home for a close relative in need of care within the meaning of Section 7 (3) of the Caregiver Leave Act (Pflegezeitgesetz) who is classified in care degree 3 or higher in accordance with Sections 14 and 15 of the Eleventh Book of the German Social Code (Soziales Gesetzbuch – Soziale Pflegeversicherung).
- as a result of participation in committees and bodies provided for by law or the articles of association
a) of universities and academies within the meaning of § 2 paragraph 1 sentence 1 number 6,
b) of the self-administration of students at educational institutions within the meaning of letter a,
c) of student unions and
d) of the federal states - as a result of failing the final examination for the first time,
- as a result of a disability, pregnancy or the care and upbringing of a child up to 14 years of age
With the introduction of the 29th BAföG amendment, the possibility was created to apply for a one-off flexible semester during studies without giving any further reasons.
In addition, it is possible to receive benefits beyond the maximum funding period under certain conditions as part of the graduation grant.
- Change of specialization
A change after 3 semesters is usually possible, later only for important (until the end of the 4th semester) or irrefutable (after the start of the 5th semester) reasons. In order not to risk losing your entitlement to funding, you should obtain information from the Studierendenwerk in advance. Link to the BMBF https://www.xn--bafg-7qa.de/bafoeg/de/antrag-stellen/merkblaetter/ausbildungsabbruch-und-fachrichtungswechsel/ausbildungsabbruch-und-fachrichtungswechsel.html
Inform yourself in good time.
Is BAföG worthwhile for me?
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.
How do I submit my application?
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.
It is also important to know that a follow-up application must be submitted in good time before the end of the approval period (also known colloquially as a repeat application). This is done as follows:
A follow-up application via the platform BAföG-Digital platform: If you have submitted your last application with consent to long-term storage in BAföG-Digital, you can easily transfer the data to the follow-up application in your user area.
A follow-up application with the short application Form 9 form: If the long-term storage of the last BAföG application was not approved or the application was not submitted via BAföG-Digital, the follow-up application can be submitted using Form 9 under certain conditions.
Processing time
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.
Who is responsible for me?
Office for Educational Support
Campus Saarbrücken
Building D 4.1
66123 Saarbrücken
Phone: 0681/302-2800
Fax: 0681/302-2890
Contact persons Office for Educational Support
Service Point:
M. Addo
S.Alshami
E. De Giorgio
Phone: 0681/302-4992
Fax: 0681/302-4993
Clerk in alphabetical order:
Keine Zuständigkeiten angelegt.
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
I. Herzallah-Otto - Phone: 0681/302-4977
Foreign funding (Portugal and Malta)
Under certain conditions, full or partial training abroad can also be funded.
Certain funding offices are responsible for funding education abroad. You can find them here:
https://www.xn--bafg-7qa.de/SiteGlobals/Forms/bafoeg/weltkarte/weltkarte_formular.html
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 domestic funding during your stay abroad.
It is generally irrelevant whether you are on leave of absence from the university in Germany.
Amount of funding
In order to receive funding to study in Portugal or Malta, further conditions must be met in addition to the usual funding requirements (for BAföG in Germany). These include in particular
- The study abroad must be conducive to the training according to the level of training. Proof of the eligibility of the training abroad is provided by an expert opinion from the training institution in Germany on Form 6 (see Downloads). An expert opinion is only not required if the student is participating in an official EU exchange program, e.g. Erasmus/Socrates, or is completing the entire course abroad (in this case, equivalence is required).
- An additional prerequisite for funding abroad is the equivalence of the foreign training institution with the corresponding domestic training institution.
- The period of study abroad must be at least partially creditable towards the prescribed or usual training period.
An internship 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.
Educational support in Portugal and Malte is paid according to the domestic rates in addition to a lump sum for travel expenses and possibly the reimbursement of any necessary tuition fees.
Application
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, if possible 6 months before the start of the stay abroad. The final certificate of enrolment can be submitted after enrolment on site.
Downloads
Below you will find all applications and forms relating to BAföG in compact form for downloading:
BAföG application
All official forms official forms can be downloaded here: https://www.bafoeg-digital.de/page.xhtml?view=/BAFOEG/downloads.xhtml
You can download additional forms from our company here. Please select the funding type first:
Funding for attending a university in Germany
- Declaration for relocation
- Certificate of health insurance
- Certificate from the training company of a sibling
- Declaration on your own motor vehicle
- Declaration in the event that one parent is unknown / unknown whereabouts
- Certificate in the event that the required income tax assessment is not yet available
- Application for a change of subject, always to be submitted together with a certificate of recognition
- Application for later submission of the proof of performance, if necessary to be submitted with a medical certificate
- Application after reaching the maximum funding period
Funding for attending a school / university / internship in Portugal or Malta
- Rental certificate
- Health insurance certificate
- Declaration on your own motor vehicle
- Certificate from the training company of a sibling
- Certificate in the event that the required income tax assessment is not yet available
- Annex to Form 6
- Pdeclaration of presence
- Internship certificate abroad
- Study certificate
FINANCIAL AID
Reimbursement of social contribution
According to the contribution regulations of the Studierendenwerk Saarland AöR, the social contribution paid can be refunded in the following cases:
- Leave of absence for the duration of an entire semester (§6 para. 2 no. 1)
- Exmatriculation before the start of the semester (§6 para. 2 no. 2)
- Particular hardship due to economic hardship through no fault of one's own (§ 7)
The deadline for applying for a refund is the last day of the semester for which the application is made. A separate application must be submitted for each semester using the form below, together with the required supporting documents.
Request for reimbursement
Hardship case attachment
Relief fund
The Studierendenwerk maintains a relief fund for Saarland University students in need.
The fund receives its resources from donations from the University, the Association of Friends of the University, the student body and other individuals and institutions. The resources of the aid fund are used to grant loans or subsidies to students at Saarland University who find themselves in a particular financial emergency. There is no legal entitlement to benefits from the fund.
Further details are set out in the guidelines of the relief fund (see below).
Anyone who would like to donate to the relief fund can do so to our account at Sparkasse Saarbrücken (IBAN: DE44 5905 0101 0067 1874 43 with the keyword "Hilfsfonds"). A confirmation of monetary donations for the tax office will of course be issued on request.
Contact person
Katrin Kurtz
Phone: 0681/302-2837
Fax: 0681/302-2890
Email: k.kurtz(at)stw-saarland.de
Scholarships in general
There are several organizations for the promotion of gifted students that are supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. You can find a list of these organizations for the promotion of gifted students at www.stipendiumplus.de
As a rule, applicants must have a very good school-leaving certificate, above-average academic performance and evidence of social, voluntary or socio-political commitment.
Information on scholarships:
You can also find important information on scholarships at: www.stipendienlotse.de
Further scholarship opportunities beyond elite funding: #ichmachwasanderes scholarship
Student insurance
Accident insurance
The accident insurance of the Studierendenwerk Saarland offers enrolled students insurance cover that extends to the non-university area (leisure area). This means that only accidents that are not covered by the student's statutory accident insurance are insured. The insurance cover only extends beyond the leisure area in the event of death (24-hour cover). In addition, enrolled students are insured if they complete an internship or work in companies or other locations, provided that this is in preparation for exams. In accordance with the provisions of the underlying insurance conditions, insurance cover is provided worldwide.
An accident within the meaning of private accident insurance occurs when the insured person involuntarily suffers damage to their health as a result of a sudden external event affecting their body. The insurance does not cover accidents caused by Mental/consciousness disorders, also due to the influence of alcohol/drugs; attempt or execution of a criminal offense; racing with motor vehicles; etc. (this is only an exemplary list).
In the case of accident insurance for students, it is essential that claims are reported immediately to the insurance company via the Studierendenwerk Saarland and that a doctor is consulted. In the event of an accident resulting in death, the accident must be reported within 24 hours.
The following insurance cover has been agreed:
€ 20,000.00 Disability with progression 225 %
€ 45,000.00 Total disability (100 % disability)
€ 2,000.00 Death
€ 5,000.00 Salvage costs
€ 5,000.00 Cosmetic surgery costs
Liability insurance
Within the framework and scope of the personal liability insurance, insurance cover is provided for enrolled students for legal liability arising from participation in learning and research activities as well as during internships associated with the degree program. The insurance cover applies worldwide and is therefore not restricted to localities. The insurance also covers statutory liability for damage to movable
property provided - with the exception of motor vehicles subject to compulsory insurance - up to a maximum amount of EUR 50,000 per loss event. A sum insured of EUR 5,000,000 applies for fire and explosion damage as well as water damage. Damage to experimental objects is also covered, provided these are not used directly by the insured person in the experiment in question. A prerequisite for settlement in the event of a claim is that the student is demonstrably at fault.
Damage that cannot be attributed to participation in Saarland University's learning and research activities is excluded. Claims due to wear and tear or excessive use are also excluded.
Important: this insurance cannot replace private liability insurance.
Theft insurance
The insurance covers the theft of items from the movable property of enrolled students and guest students, excluding vehicles and bicycles, vehicle accessories, photos, optical devices and jewelry. The insurer shall compensate for the loss of and damage to the insured items caused by fire, lightning, explosion, burglary, theft and swapping.
Insurance cover is only provided during the stay on the university campus (excluding halls of residence) or on the premises of the Faculty of Medicine in Homburg and in buildings within the Federal Republic of Germany for events within the university framework outside the university campus, as well as in buildings worldwide for events within the university framework including excursions outside the university campus.
Every claim must be reported to Studierendenwerk Saarland within seven days of the occurrence of the insured event. Damage exceeding € 102.26 must also be reported to the police. The scope of cover is a maximum of € 383.47 per insured person/damage.