Advice on BAföG and AFBG benefits
Personal and currently preferred telephone counselling for questions about BAföG and AFBG benefits.
Description
The Municipal Office for Training Assistance can advise you on benefits under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) and the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (AFBG / Aufstiegs-BAföG).
For counselling on:
General questions(e.g. on the application process, eligibility of measures, scope and duration of funding, required documents)
You have two options for receiving advice on general questions:
- Telephone advice via service telephone: You can call 089/233-96778 for advice.
- Personal consultation at the Infopoint: In urgent cases, a personal consultation at the Infopoint is possible. Please be sure to make an appointment in advance by making an appointment online. If you have requested documents, please bring them with you.
Special questions about your specific case
You can discuss specific questions about your particular case with your caseworker. The clerk responsible for you depends on the first letters of your surname.
Please enter your surname at the bottom of this page. The telephone number of your specific contact person will then be displayed automatically.
Please book your appointments via our online appointment system.
Important note: An IT changeover will take place from 19 to 26 March 2025. During this time, BAföG applications will not be accessible and information will not be available. The Infopoint will remain closed.
Required documents
You do not need any documents for a consultation. You will then be informed of the documents you need.
Questions & Answers
Educational support is generally granted/approved for one school year or one academic year (two semesters). A new application is required each year (complete with all documents and supporting evidence).
Please submit your application as early as possible before you start your studies, as BAföG benefits are paid from the beginning of the month in which you start your studies at the earliest.
if BAföG funding is not sufficient or funding is not possible for various reasons, funding can be obtained via loans and credits.
You can find informationon funding for gifted students on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Culture, Science and the Arts. The Ministry also provides information on student loans and scholarships. The Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and various banks alsooffer educational loans.
as soon as you are entitled to educational support, you are not entitled to housing benefit. There are a few exceptions to this rule. You can obtain further information from the Office for Housing and Migration.
in principle, training assistance is provided for further general education and for at least three school years up to the subsequent vocational qualification. Under certain conditions, funding can also be granted for a single additional training programme.
for all types of school, the legally received grant does not have to be repaid. An exception is an overpayment, e.g. as a result of dropping out of school.
if you drop out of school, the grant will be discontinued from the following month - to avoid overpayments, please inform us of any cancellations in good time. You may have to repay part of the grant for unexcused absences.
Training grants are paid for the duration of the course - including holiday months - but for degree programmes only for the standard period of study (maximum funding period).
In the event of a change of specialisation, the maximum funding period is redefined.
After the end of the maximum funding period, there are three options for extending BAföG funding:
- In justified cases in accordance with § 15 Para. 3 BAföG (e.g. disability, pregnancy, raising children, other serious reasons)
- Flexibility semester (Flexisemester) in accordance with § 15 Para. 4 BAföG: The Flexisemester is intended to give students the opportunity to receive BAföG for an additional semester beyond the legally stipulated maximum funding period without giving reasons. It can only be utilised once (Bachelor's or Master's degree course) and only directly after the standard period of study or the extended funding period in accordance with § 15 Para. 3.
- Graduation grant according to § 15 para. 5 BAföG
Funding in justified cases and the flexi-semester can also be combined; the order in which they are granted can be chosen freely and independently of each other.
However, after receiving the graduation grant, neither funding with reasons for extension nor the flexi-semester is possible.
Therefore, please indicate specifically whether you are applying for the funding with reasons for extension, the flexi-semester or the graduation grant.
The flexi-semester can only be used directly after the standard period of study or the extended funding period according to § 15 para. 3.
Legal basis
BAföG: Federal Training Assistance Act
AFBG: Upgrading Training Assistance Act