Programs — Germany

BAföG (federal student financial aid)· BAföG

up to €992 per month

Germany's central need-based student support: up to €992 per month, half a grant and half a zero-interest loan whose repayment is capped at €10,010.

Study start-up help (Studienstarthilfe)· Studienstarthilfe

€1,000 one-time

A one-time €1,000 grant for study starters under 25 whose household received means-tested benefits in the month before the start of study — no repayment, no offsetting.

Deutschlandstipendium

€300 per month

€300 per month for talented, committed students — half from private sponsors, half from the federal government, and fully compatible with BAföG.

Begabtenförderungswerke (talent-support foundations)· Begabtenförderungswerke

up to €855 per month

Full scholarships from the 13 publicly funded foundations: a means-tested basic stipend of up to €855 plus €300 book money per month for every scholar — nothing to repay.

KfW student loan· KfW-Studienkredit

€100 – €650 per month

€100–650 per month from the state promotional bank, with no collateral and no means test — but at 6.53% effective interest (since April 2026), so do the math first.

Bildungskredit (federal education loan)· Bildungskredit

up to €300 per month

A small, cheap federal loan for the final stretch of your studies: €1,000–7,200 in total at around 3.1% effective interest, freely combinable with BAföG.

Aufstiegs-BAföG (advancement training assistance)· Aufstiegs-BAföG (AFBG)

up to €15,000 varies

Funds Meister, Fachwirt, Techniker and 700+ other advanced qualifications: half of up to €15,000 in course fees as a grant, plus means-tested maintenance up to €1,019/month for full-timers.

Kindergeld (child benefit)· Kindergeld

€259 per month

€259 per month paid to your parents while you're in your first education or degree — until your 25th birthday, with no limit on your own income in a first degree.

Wohngeld (housing benefit)· Wohngeld

€180 – €370 per month

Rent support for students who fall outside BAföG — typically €180–370 per month, calculated from household, income, rent and the local rent level.

Broadcasting fee exemption· Befreiung vom Rundfunkbeitrag

BAföG recipients who don't live with their parents can have the €18.36 monthly broadcasting fee waived — retroactively for up to three years.

Student health insurance (KVdS)· Studentische Krankenversicherung (KVdS)

€120 – €150 per month

The capped statutory student tariff: roughly €120–150 per month for health and long-term-care insurance until your 30th birthday — and free family insurance usually covers you until 25 before that.

Deutschlandsemesterticket

Nationwide local and regional transit for €37.80 a month — 60% of the regular €63 Deutschlandticket, bundled into the semester fee at participating universities.

Erasmus+ mobility grant· Erasmus+

€540 – €600 per month

€540–600 per month for studying elsewhere in Europe from a German university, plus a €250 monthly social top-up for students with fewer opportunities — any nationality.

Werkstudent privilege· Werkstudentenprivileg

Work up to 20 hours a week during lecture periods and pay no health, care or unemployment contributions — only the 9.3% pension share comes off your gross pay.