In the following, we have compiled some information for you on the topic of student financing. If you have any questions or problems, you can of course contact the team at the Social Affairs Office.

BAföG
Part-time jobs
Scholarships
Education loan
Studentenwerk

There are various ways to finance your studies. In addition to BAföG, part-time jobs and scholarships, which most students are familiar with, there is also the possibility of taking out loans and credits at particularly favourable conditions.

The AStA also tries to support you in financial emergencies as much as possible. You can simply borrow 100€ through our interest-free instant loan, which you have to pay back within 4 weeks. In addition, under certain circumstances, you can have the costs of your bus and train semester tickets reimbursed via the LeMSHO.

BAföG

A BAföG application can be submitted at any time. However, BAföG is NOT paid retroactively, which is why you should take care of the documents early. The approval period is initially one year, after which eligibility for funding is reassessed. The application must be submitted to the Studiwerk in Göttingen.

You can find help to fill in your application at our Bafög-Café.

The following forms are required:

  • Form 1
  • Appendix 1 to Form 1
  • Certificate of enrolment (replaces form 2 and can be generated via eCampus)
  • Form 3 per parent/spouse/partner

The maximum rate (as of winter semester 22/23) for students with their own household is 812€ or 934€ (if they have their own health insurance). If you do not have your own household and health insurance, the maximum rate is 633€.

The approval period is based on the standard period of study, i.e. usually 6 semesters for a Bachelor’s degree and 4 semesters for a Master’s degree. It can only be extended under certain circumstances. A change of subject is only possible for an important reason and at the latest by the beginning of the 4th semester. Until the 5th semester, proof of the number of credits earned up to the 3rd or 4th semester must be submitted in order to continue to receive funding.

BAföG recipients can supplement their maintenance with a mini-job without having to fear deductions.

Another advantage for BAföG recipients is the exemption from the broadcasting fee (formerly GEZ), which must be applied for again for the respective approval period.

BAföG recipients can have a part-time job up to €450 per month or €5,400 per year (from 1 October 2022, these values will increase to €520 per month and €6,240). In addition, own assets up to 45,000€ over 30 years and 15,000€ under 30 years are free of charge. However, it must be borne in mind that one’s own motor vehicles etc. are also counted towards the assets. Parents’ assets or debts are not taken into account.

Five years after graduation, BAföG must be repaid in monthly instalments if a certain income limit is exceeded. However, only half and a maximum of €10,010 of the BAföG received must be repaid.

You can/must apply for the Abroad-BAföG if you wish to study abroad.

Tip: Even if you have not received BAföG up to now, you should definitely apply for it, as the calculation basis for BAföG abroad is different.

You can find all the details here: www.bafög.de

You can get more information and advice on BAföG at the Student Financing Centre (Zentrale für Studienfinanzierung) of the Studiwerk in the building of the Central Dining Hall (Zentralmensa).

Part-time jobs

Many students supplement their CVs with part-time jobs or finance their studies from them. In Göttingen, there are many opportunities to work while studying. Take a look at the university’s job centre, for example, where many student-friendly jobs are offered.

A popular option is to work as a student assistant at the university. Apart from earning money, you can also gain exciting insights into research and work directly on campus. Vacancies are advertised on the pages of the faculties and the university and sometimes in the news section of eCampus.

Furthermore, the cooperation office of the Göttingen Employment Agency (Arbeitsagentur Göttingen) in the Mensa foyer to the left of the main entrance offers further job opportunities and job search advice. You can drop by there during opening hours.

Scholarships

A further possibility of financing studies is offered by many scholarships, which are offered by various sponsors from political parties, religious communities, private foundations and the economy.

The largest scholarship providers are the 13 Begabtenförderungswerke (organisations for the promotion of gifted students), which are mainly financed by the state and whose funding is based on BAföG. In addition, however, 300 euros per month are paid without an income check. In addition, the scholarship does not have to be repaid and there is non-material support with seminars, language courses, etc.
These organisations for the promotion of gifted students include:

In addition, there are many other scholarships, mostly from private sponsors, which offer very different types of funding and are often awarded for specific clientele. You can get an overview at https://www.mystipendium.de/

In addition to good academic performance, most scholarship providers also include social commitment or a special characteristic (student with child, migration background, etc.) among the selection criteria. Therefore, it often makes sense to apply even without top grades!

Since 2011, the Germany Scholarship, which is independent of parents and income, and the Lower Saxony Scholarship have also made funding possible. The sponsored person receives €300 per month over two semesters, half of which is paid by the federal and state governments and the other half by companies and private sponsorship. The application for this is possible in September via eCampus.

Education loan

The federally owned Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) offers education loans for students. This is the cheapest of the loans for students. However, before you opt for it, you should go through all the other options for financing your studies, as a loan entails debt. The student loan is paid in monthly instalments. The guarantee is provided by the federal government.

Attention! Currently, student unions are warning against taking out such a loan. The reason is high interest rates, which can lead to major debt.

A number of requirements must be met before KfW’s education loan can be approved:

  • You must be in an advanced phase of your studies (e.g. intermediate examination/preliminary diploma, already have completed an undergraduate degree or similar)
  • Have German citizenship within the meaning of the Basic Law. Credit is only granted to foreign persons under certain circumstances
  • You must not have exceeded the age of 36
  • You must not have completed the 12th semester of your studies.

The first four years after the first monthly payment are repayment-free. After that, repayment begins in monthly instalments of 120€.

The application procedure and further information can be found at bildungskredit.de

Studentenwerk

The Social Services of the Studentenwerk offer you various options for financing your studies. You can find out which offer is right for you directly at the Social Services office.

A special offer of the Studentenwerk is the Graduation loan:

For the last phase of your studies, it is possible to take out an interest-free student loan from the Social Services of the Studentenwerk. This is only granted for a maximum of the last eight months of studies and repayment begins seven months after graduation. To be eligible for the loan, a certificate must be presented stating that graduation is imminent and another person must act as guarantor.

You can get more information at https://www.studentenwerk-goettingen.de/en/social-and-psychosocial-counselling/studentenwerk-goettingen-social-service/studentenwerk-goettingen-loans.