Students and professionals

For whom?

Eligible to apply are students of legal age who are currently enrolled at a state or state-recognised tertiary institution in Germany, who are not older than 44 years on 1 April or 1 October before the financing begins and who fall under one of the following categories:

• German citizens and their dependents (regardless of nationality) who are living with the German citizen in Germany. (Dependents are spouses, registered companions, own children and the spouse's/registered companion's children who are not more than 20 years old or legally entitled to claim maintenance.) · EU citizens who have been lawfully residing in Germany on a permanent basis for at least three years and their dependents living with the EU citizen in Germany (regardless of their citizenship and the duration of their previous residence in Germany).
• So-called educational residents who have a German Higher Education Entrance Qualification.

PLEASE NOTE: For students who are older than the maximum age but have already completed some semesters in the course of study that is to be financed, these semesters will be added to the maximum age accordingly.

For what?

To finance the living expenses of students

What kind of promotional funds are available?

A promotional loan that has the following advantages over many other loans offered to students:

• Monthly disbursement between EUR 100 and EUR 650 during the period of study
• It is granted regardless of your personal and your parents’ income and assets
• No collateral is required
• Flexible repayment for a period of up to 25 years

Application: with KfW through the online loan portal

German website

For whom?

For school, college and university students in advanced stages of their education

For what?

To pay for extraordinary costs such as a study semester abroad after the interim exams, for internships, special working materials or an excursion

What kind of promotional funds are available?

A promotional loan in monthly instalments of up to EUR 300 for a maximum of 2 years (maximum loan amount EUR 7,200) that offers the following advantages:

• It is complementary to BAföG student support payments (education and training support provided by the Federal Government)
• It is granted regardless of your personal and your parents’ income and assets
• A one-time disbursement of up to EUR 3,600 may be granted for special expenses
• No collateral is required.

Application: with the Federal Administration Office (Bundesverwaltungsamt - BVA)

Identification in accordance with the German Money Laundering Act (Geldwäschegesetz)  (PDF, 499 KB, non-accessible)

German website

For whom?

For tradespeople, technicians and other skilled workers undergoing further education to become master tradespeople, master industrial technicians, specialised business administrators or business economists or to earn a comparable qualification.
No age limit applies.

For what?

For your living expenses when you are undergoing full-time professional development, for course fees and examination fees

What kind of promotional funds are available?

• A monthly allowance composed of a grant and a loan for full-time professional development; the amount takes your income, assets, marital status, number of children etc. into account.
• A grant for course fees and examination fees, a loan can be added where reasonable

Application: with the Amt für Ausbildungsförderung (Education Assistance Office)

German website