“Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz” (Federal Education and Training Assistance Act ) and it governs the financial assistance provided by the Federal Government for training and studies. In principle, 50% of this assistance is in the form of a grant and 50% in the form of an interest-free loan. In the best case, a monthly BAföG payment of €735 is possible. All information on BAföG and how to apply, including BaföG application forms and online procedures, can be found on the BayernPortal of the Free State of Bavaria:

BayernPortal: Educational support / application for students

The Studentenwerk Erlangen-Nuremberg is responsible for processing BAföG applications and the enforcement of the Federal Education and Training Assistance Act for students of Nuremberg Tech.

Studentenwerk Erlangen-Nuremberg – Grant Office

As a BAföG recipient, you have to provide an assessment report once for further support after the 4th semester.  You can obtain the corresponding form for this certification according to §48 BAföG from the Grant Office ( Amt für Ausbildungsförderung ) in the cafeteria building on Insel Schütt. You enter the basic information and your funding number and submit the completed application to the Student Advisory Service. The application will be processed by the Student Office and sent directly to the Studentenwerk Erlangen-Nuremberg.

For a seamless continuation of your funding after the 4th semester, it is important that you take care of your assessment report as early as mid/end of June, if you are currently studying in the 4th semester. For this reason, you can now, as of summer semester 2019 and after consultation with the BAföG office, already provide your assessment report on the basis of the 3rd semester.

The assessment report will be positively confirmed by us if you can prove

  • 65 ECTS points after three semesters by mid/end June

. The advantage of early proof is that the assessment report can be provided by the deadline for submission of the application for further funding on 31 July , so that further funding should be available from October. If you are unable to provide evidence of the required level of study at this early stage, you can of course still – as before – provide evidence after the 4th semester (usually at the end of the summer semester). In this case, we will confirm the proof of performance positively if you can prove

  • 85 ECTS points at the end of the fourth semester by 31 January at the latest.

.

If you have achieved the required number of credits, you can also submit a transcript directly to the BAföG office instead of the form for certification according to §48 BAföG.

Please note that both credits from examinations and periods of study from other degree programmes or other universities as well as recognition of periods of practical training must always be taken into account or counted when assessing your performance. If the proof of performance is not positive by the end of your fourth study semester, because your progress through your programme has been delayed we will negatively confirm the proof of performance form according to to §48 BAföG. Please then contact the BAföG office for individual advice. It is possible that reasons for delay that you can prove will be recognized and the assessment report will be deferred according to the delay and the reasons can be reasserted for any extension that may be necessary at a later date. We can positively evaluate your performance for further funding if you achieve

  • at least 105 ECTS points by the end of the fifth semester
  • at least 125 ECTS points by the end of the sixth semester

.

The usual basic requirements for BAföG eligibility also apply for a master’s degree programme.. However, there are special aspects to be taken into account, such as the fact that a master’s degree programme is only begun after a university degree (usually a bachelor’s degree).

In § 7 (1a) BAföG it is expressly provided that a master’s degree programme can be funded following a bachelor’s degree programme.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree:

A master’s degree programme can only be funded if a bachelor’s degree or comparable degree has been obtained beforehand. Those who have obtained a “Diplom” as their first university degree are unfortunately not eligible for BAföG during a master’s degree programme, even if the “Diplom” programme only had a regular duration of six semesters of study.

It doesn’t matter whether a change of subject that was not eligible for approval was made in the bachelor’s programme, how many semesters you required for your first degree, or whether or not the assessment report could be submitted on time. Even those who were no longer funded towards the end of their bachelor’s programme are still eligible for funding during the master’s degree programme.

 

Type of master’s degree programme:

There does not have to be a disciplinary connection between the bachelor’s and master’s. It is simply that a master’s degree requires you to have completed (any) bachelor's degree as an admission requirement. Furthermore, the master’s degree itself must qualify you for a profession and must be completed within a predetermined time frame (two to four semesters of full-time study).

 

Age limit:

Not yet 35 at the beginning of master’s study (§ 10 BAföG).

 

Maximum duration of support:

The standard period of study for the chosen master’s degree programme as defined in the respective Study and Examination Regulations. You can find detailed information about BAfög for master’s degree programmes on the studis-online site:

BAföG for master’s degree programmes

Repayment

Approximately four and a half years after the last BAföG payment, you will receive the “Feststellungs- und Rückzahlungsbescheid” (assessment and repayment notification) from the Federal Office of Administration (please make sure that the BAföG office always knows your current address). This notification states the amount of your loan debt, the maximum duration of support, and all relevant information about repayment modalities. A correspondingly valid repayment schedule and the maximum offer for early repayment are also included in the letter. Regardless of the total amount of BAföG payments received, the maximum amount to be repaid is €10,000.Repayment of the interest-free loan begins five years after receipt of the last monthly BAföG payment.

FAQs for BAföG repayment

 

Partial remissions

have been granted in the past if you passed the final examination by 31 December 2012. Under certain conditions,  you could be granted partial remission of your loan, e.g. if you had above-average academic success (30% of the best students in a year), if you had completed your degree early, or if you were eligible for further funding beyond the maximum funding period due to a disability. This list is provided with errors and omissions excepted. 

More information on partial remission options

 
Important information on the repayment obligation and the BAföG partial remission can also be found on the website of the Federal Office of Administration.