1. Start-up grant for students – Approval
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Start-up grant for students – Approval

  • Service description

    Particularly at the start of their degree, students have to cover a number of expenses. These include, for example,

    • Teaching materials,
    • IT equipment or
    • Rental deposit when moving to a new town.

    Under the ‘Studienstarthilfe’ scheme, the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) provides funding for precisely these expenses.

    The grant amounts to 1,000 EUR. This sum is awarded to you as a one-off grant. This means that you do not have to repay it.

    You can apply for this funding to study at

    • a higher education institution in this country or abroad, and
    • at an academy which awards a degree at university level,

    received.

    A condition for receiving funding is that

    • you have not yet reached the age of 25 at the start of your degree programme and
    • You or your family have received certain social security benefits on your behalf prior to your studies.

    You or your family must have been receiving social security benefits in the month before you started your studies. You must submit your application by the end of the month following the start of your studies.

  • Procedure

    You can only apply for the Start-up Grant online. The procedure is as follows:

    • Register with BAföG Digital and create a BundID user account by
      • the online ID function on your identity card, or
      • Username and password.
    • Please complete the form fields online using the application wizard.
    • Please upload the required supporting documents.
    • Please submit your details electronically to the relevant authority.
    • The Student Finance Office, or the body designated by the state to administer the scheme, will check that the documents are complete. If any documents are missing, you will be asked to submit them at a later date.
    • Once the application is complete, it will be assessed and you will be notified of the decision in writing.

  • Responsible office

    Saarland Student Services Organisation

    Saarbrücken Campus, Building D 4.1

    66123 Saarbrücken

    Tel.: 0681/302-2800

    Fax: 0681/302-2890

    Email: [email protected]

  • Prerequisites

    You can receive financial assistance to help you start your studies if

    • if you are going to start a degree course at a university or an equivalent institution,
    • You are studying full-time,
    • you are under 25 years of age when you start your degree,
    • If you or your family received the following social security benefits in the month before you started your studies:
      • Citizen’s Income,
      • Social security,
      • Benefits under the basic income support scheme for older people and those with reduced earning capacity,
      • Benefits to cover living expenses under the Social Compensation Act,
      • Benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act,
      • Receipt of the child allowance through
        • As a trainee, you yourself for your own children or
        • Your parents, on your behalf
      • Receiving housing benefit, either as the applicant or as a member of the household,
      • Receipt of child and youth welfare support, with parents’ income not being taken into account when calculating the costs.

  • Which documents are required?

    • completed application form
    • Certificate of enrolment or Form 02
    • Proof of receipt of social security benefits

  • What fees are charged?

    There are no costs.

  • Legal basis

  • Legal remedy

    • Contradiction
    • Action before the administrative court

  • What else should I know?

    The following information is available:

    • If you provide incorrect or incomplete information, or fail to notify us of any changes, this may result in criminal prosecution or be treated as an administrative offence punishable by a fine. Any amounts paid in error may be reclaimed.
    • As the applicant, your details will be cross-checked against application data already stored on the BAföG Digital portal to prevent multiple awards. To this end, the application data – as defined in more detail in the Act – will be stored for a period of three years.

  • Further information

  • Short text

    • Start-up grant for students – Approval
    • financial support for students starting their studies, in particular
      • Teaching materials
      • IT equipment
      • Rental deposit
    • a one-off grant of 1,000 EUR
    • upon first enrolment at a higher education institution
    • Personal requirements:
      • not yet 25 years of age
      • Previous receipt by the person themselves or their family of:
        • Citizen’s Income,
        • Social security,
        • Benefits under the basic income support scheme for older people and those with reduced earning capacity,
        • Benefits to cover living expenses under the Social Compensation Act,
        • Benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act,
        • Receipt of the child allowance through
        • Apprentices, or apprentices themselves, for their own children, or
        • The trainee’s parents, on their behalf,
        • Receiving housing benefit, either as the applicant or as a member of the household,
        • Receipt of child and youth welfare support, with parents’ income not being taken into account when calculating the costs.
    • Receipt of social security benefits in the month prior to submitting the application
    • Applications must be submitted by the end of the month following the start of the training programme
    • Applications must be submitted exclusively via the ‘BAföG Digital’ online portal
    • responsible:
      • Student finance offices or
      • another body designated by the state

  • Author

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)


Responsible departments