BAföG, education loans and emergency aid for international students

Transcription

1 BAföG, education loans and emergency aid for international students

2 1. BAföG Federal Training Assistance Act: (German language only) BAföG is the state tuition funding in Germany. International students can only apply in exceptional cases. The Studentenwerk Frankfurt (student services) can advise and help you during the application process. Please verify on the list below if you are an eligible candidate for BAföG. The process can differ for EU citizens (also citizens from Switzerland, Island, Liechtenstein or Norway) and non-eu citizens. Paragraph 8 of the BAföG Law determines who the prospect candidates for the funding are. For more information about 8 BAföG, please visit the following link: de/-8-staatsangehoerigkeit-224.php Foreign students are essentially sponsored by BAföG if they are staying in Germany for a longer period of time or if they have lived in Germany prior to their studies. For EU citizens it is easier to obtain BAföG funding. Basically you should not be older than 30 years at the beginning of your studies; otherwise you can only receive the scholarship under certain conditions ( de/de/-10-alter-226.php). The funding is also dependent on the income of your parents / spouse, as well as on your own income and wealth. Depending on how high these are, the funding amount is calculated or under certain circumstances, is not granted. Please note that half of the student loan is an interest-free government loan and the other half grant money. The obligation to repay begins after the end of the maximum funding period and a rest period of 5 years. If after receiving the notice from the Federal Administration Office, either the complete or partial amount is repaid in advance, the repayment sum can be minimized. If your income is not very high when the obligated repayment period begins, repayment can start at a later period. Information on repayment: Information and advice about BAföG at the Studentenwerk (student services) in Frankfurt: Address: BAföG-Beratungszentrum (advisory center) Sozialzentrum (social center), ground floor Bockenheimer Landstraße Frankfurt Mon-Thurs h Mail: [email protected] 2 Foreign students are generally entitled for BAföG 1 if: You are a recognized refugee, homeless or entitled to asylum or deportation protection or You have a settlement permit/right of permanent residence You have a right to enter and remain in the EU as a spouse or child under the requirements of 3 Freedom of Movement Law, or you are the child of EU citizens whose rights are not entitled because you are 21 years of age or older and have not received support from your parents or their spouses, or You have lawfully worked for five years in Germany before your studies (does not apply for vocational training and holiday jobs) or At least one parent was legally employed in Germany for 3 years within the last 6 years before the beginning of your studies. (The 6 years include periods of maternity leave, disease causing 1 The requirements of 8 BAföG described here are simplified and shortened, for exact wording please consult the legal text.

3 incapacity or disability, participation in training / a measure for vocational or medical rehabilitation, reaching the pensionable unemployment age, the extent entitled to unemployment benefits or assistance). For tolerated foreigners ( 60a of the law of residence) who have their permanent residence in Germany, financial support will be provided, if they have lawfully lived in the federal territory for at least four consecutive years.. For EU citizens and citizens of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway (EEA) there is a funding opportunity through BAföG if: You are an EU or EEA national and have the right of permanent residence pursuant to 4a law of freedom of movement or You are an EU or EEA national and have already worked in Germany (at least 6 months) before the beginning of your studies and there is a fundamental relationship between the job and the field of study. Note that a bridging activity before studying or an internship is insufficient. More useful links about BAföG: Studis Online: BAföG Aktuell: 2. Education and study loans Education loans may be used under certain circumstances as a quick solution for financial problems while studying. However, before requesting a loan you should think twice. Maybe there are still other possibilities for financial support. Taking out a credit loan involves the obligatory repayment of the whole sum with interest after a certain period of time. Inform yourself about the terms and conditions of the loan and leave it as your last choice. In Germany there is a state education loan as well as other student loan providers, we have listed some of them here State Education Loan: The education loan is a low-interest state loan to help students financially. The education loan is also available for international students, but in a more limited way. The conditions are the same as for BAföG ( 8, see the above text). In contrast to BAföG, the loan is granted regardless of your own income, the parents or the spouses income. The educational loan is paid monthly in advance in equal rates by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Monthly rates of 100 euros, 200 euros or 300 euros can be requested. However, there are other possible options. Within the education period, up to 24 monthly rates, i.e. a maximum of 7,200 euros can be granted. The number of monthly rates may be limited to a smaller amount by request, whereas the minimal loan amount must be at least 1,000 euros. The repayment of the education loan begins 4 years after the first payment, in monthly rates of 120 euros. Yet it can also be completely or partially paid in advance. Extensive general information about the education loan can be found here: Specific information for foreign students who wish to apply for the loan: 3

4 2.2. Further education loans In 2014, the Centre for Higher Education Development (Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung) reviewed different student loans in Germany. The results can be found here: Unfortunately, among the loans reviewed there are only a few unrestricted options for EU and non-eu foreigners. This includes the loan Deutsche Bildung ( Some other loans are accessible under some restrictions or by providing a guarantee. This means that someone has to accept the repayment for you, in case that you cannot. As it was mentioned before, loans should only be an option after all your other possibilities have been exhausted. If you have financial difficulties you can try to obtain support from the following institutions first. 3. Support in financial emergencies The student communities have an emergency fund for foreign students who, without fault, find themselves in a financial emergency. Students, who have acute problems paying the next months rent or the next semester fee, can find support at the Catholic University Community (Katholische Hochschulgemeinde - KHG) or the Evangelic Student Community (Evangelische Studierendengemeinde - ESG) on short notice. Prolonged aid cannot be granted. If you need assistance, you can personally contact one of the student communities. ESG on Campus Westend KHG on Campus Westend Siolistraße 7 Siolistraße Frankfurt/Main Frankfurt/Main Tel: Contact: Iván Barbaric Fax: Tel: [email protected] [email protected] In addition, students can apply for assistance at the Studentenwerk (student services). Support can be provided under certain conditions in the form of loan funds, aids or hardship funds. These can be assigned as loans or as grant money. A thorough explanation and evaluation can be obtained in a personal meeting. Students who have a low income can also apply for a refund of the RMV-semester ticket, if they do not necessarily use it. For further information on refunds: 4 For further information and advice: Beratungszentrum (advisory center), Campus Westend, Hörsaalzentrum EG, Theodor-W. Adorno-Platz 5, Frankfurt am Main Another important contact for international students in financial emergencies is the Frankfurt Association for the Promotion of Foreign Students in Need (Verein zur Förderung ausländischer Studierender in Not e.v.) The association supports foreign students in the Studienkolleg and during the initial study phase with financial subsidies. In exceptional cases they also support students who are at a more advanced point of their studies.

5 Contact and additional information: Internationales Studienzentrum/Studienkolleg, Bockenheimer Landstr Frankfurt/Main Tel.: , , We don t assume liability for the information supplied! - Publisher: International Office, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Campus Westend, PEG-Gebäude Postfach 3, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6, Frankfurt am Main [email protected], 069/ [May 2015]