Students and professionals

What is the KfW Student Loan?

The KfW Student Loan is a low-interest loan (until 31 March 2021 0.00% if your loan is in the disburse­ment phase), which is used to cover your living expenses. The interest rate is fixed until 31 March 2021, after which it is adjusted every six months on 01 April and 01 October of each year.

You can receive monthly disburse­ments of up to EUR 650 (disburse­ment phase). Once the disburse­ments stop, the loan enters a grace period in which you only pay interest (interest-only phase).

Once this phase ends, repayment of the KfW Student Loan (repayment phase) begins.

The account is managed online.

Find detailed information here:
Information Sheet KfW Student Loan  (PDF, 154 KB, accessible)

What do we support?

We finance your living expenses while you are studying. It makes no difference whether you are studying full-time, part-time or while working. Programs at distance learning universities are also possible. We support semesters abroad if you are still enrolled at a German university.

Your university must be located in Germany and be a state or state-accredited university.

We support these courses of study:

• First under­graduate degree
• Second degree (further under­graduate studies)
• Additional, supplementary or post­graduate studies, or
• Master’s (post­graduate studies)

A doctorate can also be financed with the KfW Student Loan.

Who do we support?

We support you, regard­less of your and your parents’ income, if you are 18 – 44 years old and have a registered address in Germany and if you are not yet studying beyond the 10th semester.

Starting 01 June 2020 with start of financing on 01 July 2020.

Applications can be submitted until 15 February 2021 at the latest for the start of financing on 01 March 2021.

How long do we provide support and up to what loan amount?

Depending on your require­ments, we will disburse between EUR 100 and 650 to you per month:

• for up to 14 semesters in the case of a first or second degree
• The maximum total amount is there­fore EUR 54,600: EUR 650 x 14 semesters x 6 months per semester.
• The duration of support depends on your age when you start studying
  - 24 years: 14 semesters of support
  - 34 years: 10 semesters of support
  - 44 years: 6 semesters of support
  - older than 44 years: support no longer possible
• for up to 6 semesters in the case of post­graduate studies or a doctorate.
  The maximum total amount is therefore EUR 23,400: EUR 650 x 6 semesters x 6 months per semester.

Lump-sum disburse­ment of the total amount or one-off payments are not possible.

How and where do I submit the application?

Before you apply for the KfW Student Loan, you should clarify your personal loan require­ments and determine whether the Student Loan is suitable for you. You then apply for the loan and submit your documents to a distribution partner (banks and student services).

You can find a distribution partner here.

First fill out the online application form.

Print out the contract offer and then visit one of our distribution partners. In addition, please take a valid, official ID document (e.g. identity card, personal ID, passport) as well as your certificate of study, which is valid on the day the financing begins. In addition, as a non-EU citizen you must have a valid student visa and/or residence permit. You also need proof of a current account, e.g. by presenting a bank card or a bank statement.

If your registered domestic address is not identifiable in your official identification documents, you also have to submit a valid certificate of registration that is not older than 6 months.

You sign your documents with the distribution partner. They will then forward it to us together with a copy of your identification documents.

We need about 2 weeks for the review. If everything is ok, you will receive a reply by post.

Checklist KfW Student Loan  (PDF, 173 KB, non-accessible)

How are disbursements made and what needs to be done during the disbursement phase?

You will always have your money in your account during the day on the 1st working day of the month.

We deduct the interest on your current loan amount (0.00% until 31 March 2021) from the monthly payment. To receive disbursements, you must prove at the beginning of each semester (no later than 15 April and 15 October) that you are still registered at a German university.

You must provide proof of your academic record no later than at the end of the 6th semester. Further information and the form can be found at the German Website.

We can only continue to support your studies and disburse further funds if proof of your academic record is provided. If you don’t provide this proof, we will stop the disbursements.

If you study for more than 10 semesters, we need a certificate from your university at the end of the 10th semester showing when you are expected to complete your degree.

What happens after the disbursements?

After you have received your last disburse­ment, the interest-only period begins. This lasts 18 – 23 months and can be shortened to 6 months on request. During this grace period, you only pay interest, you don’t repay the loan. This will be debited from your account on the first of each month. In this phase you can also apply for your interest to be capitalised. This means that the interest is initially not paid and is added to the loan amount at the end of the phase.

Repayment always starts on 01 April or 01 October.

Five months before the start of repayment, we will provide you with the repayment schedule in your online loan portal.

What changes can be made during the term?

You can make the following changes, among others:

• You can change the amount of the disburse­ments on 15 March and 15 September between EUR 100 and EUR 650.
• You can also stop disburse­ments on the 15th of each month, after which the loan enters the interest-only period.
• If you have received the repayment schedule, you can adjust it by 15 March and 15 September.

German website