BAföG: Studierendenwerk Oldenburg

BAföG is the classic form of student finance - and quite rightly so! The state pays you up to 992 euros a month so that you can study in peace. Admittedly, when you first apply for BAföG, it can be a little complicated. But don't worry: we at Studierendenwerk Oldenburg are here to answer all your questions and help you fill out the application.

Do I receive BAföG? And if so, how much?

BAföG is the state education grant in Germany (hence the name: Federal Education and Training Assistance Act). Currently, slightly more than one in five students at the University of Oldenburg, Jade University of Applied Sciences and Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences receive BAföG. Whether and how much BAföG you receive depends primarily on your parents' income - but not only! There are even situations in which BAföG is paid completely independently of parents.

If you would like to know in advance what your entitlement to BAföG is, we can carry out a non-binding trial calculation . Simply come to a BAföG consultation. All you need to bring with you is your parents' tax assessment from the year before last.

Personal counselling at the BAföG office

Your personal advisor at the BAföG office (Schützenweg 44) is available for you at the following times:

Tue 10.00 - 12.00 (open consultation hours without appointment)
Thursdays 10.00 - 12.00 and 13.30 - 15.30 (open consultation hours without appointment)
Wednesday online counselling with appointment

Make an appointment now

You can also contact the head office (Tel: 0441/97175-0) with general questions:
Mon - Thu 9.00 - 15.30
Fri 9.00 - 12.30

or by e-mail: bafoeg(at)sw-ol.de

Everything about the BAföG application

How to get your BAföG

The most important facts at a glance

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How much is BAföG?

The maximum rate is currently 992 euros per month. You can receive this if you have your own home and pay your own health and long-term care insurance.

Studentin in WG-Küche telefoniert am Handy

How long will I receive BAföG?

BAföG is available for the first degree, i.e. for a Bachelor's and a Master's degree. Since winter semester 24/25, there has also been a "flexi-semester", which you can take either in the Bachelor's or Master's programme. Various reasons can also mean that you can receive BAföG for longer.

Will I be in debt afterwards?

Half of BAföG is a grant that you do not have to pay back. The other half is an interest-free loan that has to be repaid when you earn money yourself. However, the amount you owe is limited to 10,010 euros, so you won't have to pay back any more. As a rule, the loan should be repaid at 130 euros per month.

Is there an age limit?

As a rule, you must be under 45 years of age at the start of your degree programme. However, there are exceptions.

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1.000 € for you

With the study start-up grant, first-year students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds can cover typical costs at the beginning of their studies.

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BAföG and working

Receiving BAföG does not prevent you from working alongside your studies. As long as your earnings remain below the mini-job limit, nothing will be taken into account.

Nahaufnahme einer Hand im BAföG-Gesetzbuch

Parent-independent BAföG

Your parents' income is not always the basis for the BAföG calculation. In certain cases, only your income and possibly that of your spouse or partner will be taken into account, for example if you have been working for a certain period of time before starting your studies.

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What happens to my savings?

Your savings do not automatically prevent you from receiving BAföG: The allowance for saved assets is €15,000 for under 30-year-olds and €45,000 for over 30-year-olds.

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Take your BAföG with you abroad!

Learn or improve your knowledge of another language, discover a new culture and get to know life at a university outside of Germany: studying abroad is a great thing, but it costs a lot of money. We'll show you how BAföG can help you here too.

BAföG for YOUR life

Studentin mit Kleinkind auf dem Arm unterhält sich mit weiterer Studentin in einem Uni-Gebäude

BAföG for student parents

BAföG contains various special regulations to provide special support for student parents. Here we give you an overview.

Studentin im Rollstuhl im Gespräch mit Beraterin

Special features for disabled students

BAföG provides a number of special regulations for disabled students. Find out what this means for you.

What else is important...

If the parents don't pay...

If your parents do not pay the maintenance amount, you can receive BAföG as a so-called advance payment instead.

Change of subject

Would you like to change your degree programme? In many cases, this will not affect your BAföG entitlement.

(Kopie 13)

Nahaufnahme einer Weltkarte mit Pins darauf

BAföG for non-German students

BAföG is the state education grant in Germany. In many cases, non-German students are also entitled to it. The law links BAföG entitlement to nationality and, in particular, the student's residence status.

learn more

zwei junge Leute im Park schieben Fahrräder

Part-time study: What does this mean for BAföG?

BAföG is there to secure your livelihood during your studies so that you can concentrate fully on your studies. Therefore, if you decide to only study part-time, there is no BAföG for this phase.

Special regulations for student parents and disabled students

Not least for students with children or students with disabilities, part-time study appears to be a tempting way to reconcile studying with the additional burdens of everyday life. However, we do not recommend that these students in particular switch to part-time study if they receive BAföG. This is because they are entitled to longer funding. For the semesters that they study beyond the maximum funding period due to the additional requirements, they even receive BAföG as a full grant. This means that they do not have to pay back any of the funding they receive beyond the maximum funding period due to childcare or disability after the end of their studies.

BAföG recipients with children up to the age of 14 also receive a childcare allowance of €160 for each child - another argument for not simply cancelling BAföG by deciding to study part-time.

If you are wondering whether part-time study is worthwhile for you, please contact us for a non-binding consultation.

Further information on part-time study

BAföG: Much better than you think

Do I receive BAföG? And if so, how much?

The most important facts at a glance

BAföG for YOUR life

Special regulations for student parents and disabled students