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Funding for further training for career progression – Approval

  • Service description

    Through the career advancement training grant, known as the ‘Aufstiegs-BAföG’, you can receive financial support to gain the qualifications needed for specialist and management roles or to become self-employed. Funding is available for over 700 higher-level vocational training qualifications, for example:

    • Champion (female) or Champion (male)
    • Business Administration Specialist (female) or Business Administration Specialist (male)
    • Technician (male or female)
    • State-recognised nursery teacher (female) or State-recognised nursery teacher (male)

    You can only choose from advanced training courses for which you have the necessary professional qualifications.

    The Aufstiegs-BAföG grant can help you by:

    • Contributions towards the costs of your measures
    • Contributions towards your living expenses

    You can undertake the advanced vocational training on a full-time or part-time basis. You can also apply for support for several stages of the programme. Your training must be provided by a suitable provider, for example by a

    • public bodies,
    • a state-recognised organisation or
    • certified organisation.

    You may be eligible for financial support to cover the actual course and examination fees incurred, up to 15,000 EUR. Half of this is a grant that does not need to be repaid; the other half is a low-interest loan from KfW, which you must repay. Upon successful completion, part of the loan may be written off. If you set up your own business, the entire loan may be written off under certain circumstances.

    Support is also available for your practical work, such as that carried out as part of your master craftsman’s examination. You can receive funding covering up to half of the necessary and incurred material costs, up to a maximum of 2,000 EUR, half of which is a grant and half a loan.

    With regard to the loan component of the grant, once your application for the Upgrading Training Grant has been approved, you are entitled to enter into a loan agreement with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Your loan is interest-free and repayment-free for the duration of the training and a subsequent grace period of two years.

    You can only apply for a living allowance if you are undertaking your further education on a full-time basis. As a parent of one or more children, you will receive a higher allowance. If you have income or assets in excess of the allowances, these will be taken into account. You must also declare any other state benefits, such as unemployment benefit, when submitting your application. You do not have to repay the AFBG maintenance allowance.

    Single parents receive an additional monthly childcare allowance for each child under the age of 14 in their household, whether they are in full-time or part-time employment.

    Even as a foreign national, you can receive the career advancement grant if, for example:

    • are nationals of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), or
    • hold a specific residence permit or a permanent residence permit, or
    • have resided in the country for a total of three years and have been lawfully employed.

  • Procedure

    • You should apply for the career advancement grant at the relevant AFBG implementing body for your place of permanent residence.
    • You should submit your application, together with all the necessary documents, either electronically or in writing. In most federal states, you can also submit your application online.
    • If you are completing the application electronically or in writing:
      • Select the relevant forms and complete the application on the computer. Enter your name at the end of the application.
      • Please send your application by email to the relevant AFBG implementing body or
      • Print out the application form and send it, together with the necessary supporting documents, by post to your local AFBG implementing agency.
    • The AFBG implementing body will check the information you have provided and decide whether the legal requirements for funding under the AFBG are met in your case, and will send you a decision notice.
    • The notification will tell you whether, how and to what extent your training programme will be funded.
    • In addition to the grants, once your application for the scheme contribution has been approved, you are entitled to enter into a loan agreement with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).
    • Your loan is interest-free and repayment-free for the duration of the training and a subsequent two-year grace period. This means that you will not have to start repaying the loan in monthly instalments until two years after the end of the training.

  • Prerequisites

    • You have the necessary prior professional qualifications for the qualification you are aiming for.
    • The training provider must be suitable, for example as:
      • public body,
      • a state-recognised organisation or
      • certified provider.
    • The training programme prepares participants for a qualification regulated under public law or one deemed equivalent to such a qualification.
    • Regular attendance at the training programme.
    • The full-time further training programme offers
      • at least 400 teaching hours,
      • Completion within 36 calendar months and
      • As a rule, at least 25 teaching hours over four working days each week.
    • The part-time training programme offers
      • at least 400 teaching hours,
      • Completion within 48 calendar months and
      • On average, at least 18 teaching hours per month.

  • Which documents are required?

    • completed application form
    • current certificate of residence
    • Proof of your professional qualifications, for example in the form of your examination certificate or university degree
    • For full-time courses: proof of your statutory health insurance or your insurance policy

    and, where applicable:

    • Copies of invoices for course and examination fees
    • Supporting documents for reimbursement of expenses
    • Evidence of income from employment, training allowances or maintenance payments
    • Information about children
    • Proof of receipt of financial benefits such as, for example,
      • BAföG,
      • Unemployment benefit,
      • Citizen’s Income,
      • Rehabilitation services,
      • Support for gifted pupils or similar schemes.
    • Passport or equivalent travel document, and proof of residence permit if you are not a German national
    • In the case of degree programmes terminated early: certificate of withdrawal
    • Certificate of the degree of disability

  • What fees are charged?

    There are no costs.

  • What deadlines do I have to observe?

    The grant must be applied for by the end of the project or by the end of the relevant phase of the project at the latest.

    The maintenance allowance and the childcare supplement for single parents are granted from the month in which lessons begin, or from the start of the month in which the application is made at the earliest. It is not possible to grant this benefit retrospectively.

  • Processing time

    Duration: 1 week to 3 months

    Note regarding further information on processing times:

    The processing time depends on when the complete application documents are submitted.

  • Legal basis

  • Legal remedy

    • For disputes concerning AFBG funding: Depending on the federal state, you may either lodge an appeal with the AFBG implementing body or bring a claim before the administrative court. Further information can be found in your notification.
    • For disputes arising from the loan agreement: legal proceedings before the ordinary courts

  • Further information

  • Short text

    • Funding under the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (AFBG), known as ‘Aufstiegs-BAföG’
    • Advancement to specialist and management roles, or into self-employment, is supported through the provision of further training in vocational education and training, with
      • Contributions towards the costs of measures
      • Contributions towards living costs
    • Funding is available for further training qualifications at a higher level of vocational education and training, for example:
      • Champion (female) or Champion (male)
      • Business Administration Specialist (female) or Business Administration Specialist (male)
      • Technician (male or female)
      • State-recognised nursery teacher
    • Over 700 further training qualifications across three levels of further training are eligible for funding:
      • Certified Vocational Specialist (male) and Certified Vocational Specialist (female)
      • Professional Bachelor’s Degree
      • Master Professional
    • Legal requirements for funding include, amongst other things:
      • Preparatory course for an examination governed by public law
      • the participant’s prior vocational qualifications
      • regular attendance by the participant
      • The provider of the training is suitable, for example, as
        • public body
        • state-recognised provider
        • certified provider
    • Advanced training can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis
    • The training programme can be completed in several stages
    • The maximum duration of funding is, in principle,
      • for full-time study: 24 months
      • for part-time work: 48 months
    • Requirements regarding the number of teaching hours:
      • For full-time courses: As a rule, at least 25 teaching hours across four working days each week
      • for part-time courses: an average of at least 18 teaching hours per month
    • Foreign nationals are eligible for financial support if, for example:
      • are nationals of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), or
      • hold certain residence permits or a permanent residence permit, or
      • have resided in the country for a total of 3 years and have been lawfully employed
    • Contribution towards the measure:
      • Reimbursement of course and examination fees actually incurred
        • up to 15,000 EUR possible
        • half as a grant, half as a loan from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)
      • In certain circumstances, the loan or parts of it may be written off
      • practical work, for example as part of the master craftsman’s examination,
        • Up to half of the necessary and incurred material costs, up to a maximum of 2,000 EUR, may be funded
        • half as a grant, half as a loan from KfW
      • regardless of income and wealth.
      • is granted for both full-time and part-time schemes.
    • Maintenance payments:
      • is only granted for full-time programmes
      • does not have to be repaid
      • Income and assets (in excess of the allowances) are taken into account
    • local jurisdiction
      • if resident in Germany: the AFBG implementing body for the district in which the participant has their permanent residence at the time of application
      • if resident abroad: the AFBG enforcement agency for the district in which the training centre is located

  • Author

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

    Forwarding service: Deep link to the original portal

Responsible departments