BAföG Inland

What is BAföG?

The Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (German Federal Law on Support in Education) manages state support for the education of students in Germany.

The main principle according to §1 BAföG is: “in accordance with this law, there exists the entitlement to individual educational support for a course of education, respective of inclination, suitability and achievement, if the person to be educated does not possess the necessary means to fund daily living and education.“

Entitlement to BAföG is dependent on two factors:

Is my course of education even eligible for funding?
Have I met the personal conditions?

International students can also apply to receive BAföG, provided the required criteria are met.
The possible funding can vary monthly between €10 and €861. It would be a shame if you didn't receive BAföG, even though you were eligible, just because you thought your parents 'probably earn too much anyway'.

You can find details on how to submit a successful application here (including educational support abroad):

First tip:	To get you started. Initial questions and answers. See below.
Contact:	You can find addresses, fax numbers, as well as all telephone numbers and email addresses here. You can come visit us, either at the main desk or at other branches, to pick up pre-printed forms, submit applications, gather information or have a conversation directly with your POC.
Forms:	New: BAföG Digital
FAQ/Link:	Further information and sources to make applying as smooth as possible - incl. info leaflets, checklists, FAQ, links, tips and bits of information.

Should you find you do not receive any, or not enough, education funding, or if you don't have sufficient financial means to be able to study successfully, please have a look at grants and loans.

Which educational institutions is the student grants office of the Heidelberg student union responsible for?

University of Heidelberg
University of Education
Heilbronn University, incl. Künzelsau and Schwäbisch Hall
Hochschule für Kirchenmusik der evang. Landeskirche in Baden, Heidelberg
SRH Hochschule Heidelberg
Hochschule für Jüdische Studien, Heidelberg
Schwetzingen Technical Institute & Graduate Court Registrars' College
Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Mosbach, incl. Bad Mergentheim
Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Heilbronn
German Graduate School of Management and Law, Heilbronn
University of applied sciences Fresenius Heidelberg
International studies center of the University of Heidelberg

First steps for your BaföG application

Which forms do I need to complete my application?

You need to submit at least the following documents for your BAföG application to be complete:

Form 1 - mandatory for each application (Form with CV; at the beginning of every new phase of your education)
CV (included in form 1)
Form 9 - subsequent application for the funding of your studies, as long as neither the responsible department nor the given information about income, assets, bank account etc. have changed. Otherwise use form 1 (listed above).
Form 3 - both parents (support dependent on parents) and, if needed, of spouse (yearly)

In some circumstances your POC will require additional documents to verify whether you are eligible for support:

Do you want to study abroad?
- Form 6
Do you have a child under 14 years?
- Form 4 (childcare subsidy)
Do you have German nationality?
- In the case of non-EU foreigners, submit suitable proof of residence status
Are you about to go into your 5th semester
- Form 5 is used as a performance record and needs to be provided, one time only, at the end of the 4th semester and at the latest before the beginning of the 5th semester; ggfs. can alternatively be recorded by the performance level of the ECTS points achieved.
Would you like to apply for an update to your parents' or spouse's income?
- Form 7
Do you not have the required information to calculate your parents' income?
- Form 8

Where can I find the Forms?

Online eApplication – after filling the form out you can use different ways to send it over to us.
All forms can be downloaded from our Download Forms.

Where do I send my documents back?

You can hand in the application you've filled out to our Infodesk or ServiceCenter/InfoCafé International, or you can send it back via post.

When will I hear back from you?

We inform you about the current processing status in the e-mail confirmation of receipt.

How long do I have to wait to get a decision?

For domestic applications two to three months, for foreign applications three to six months.

Am I even eligible for BAföG?

There are many conditions you need to fulfil to receive BAföG, like: age, nationality, income, etc.

How can the checklists help me?

The checklists provide tips and advice for your application. You can find the checklist for domestic support here.

What can I find on your websites?

Contact:	You can find addresses, fax numbers, as well as all telephone numbers and email addresses here. You can drop in either at the main desk or at other branches to pick up pre-printed forms, submit applications, gather information, or have a conversation directly with your POC.
Forms:	New: BAföG Digital
FAQ/Link:	Further information and sources to make applying as smooth as possible - incl. info leaflets, checklists, FAQ, links, tips and bits of information.