Can I take out an educational loan?
In addition to financial aid in the form of BAföG, you can also take out a low-interest student loan. You can take out an educational loan to supplement your BAföG grant and is intended to speed up your studies or finance unusual expenses (e.g. tuition, excursions).
How it works:
- Loans independent of your income and assets as well as that of your parents
- Maximum monthly payouts of € 100, € 200, € 300
- Due to budget limitations, students have no legal right to an educational loan
- Students are only eligible until the end of the twelfth semester (with some exceptions)
- The Federal Office of Administration (50728 Cologne) accepts and processes applications
- Loan repayment begins four years after the first payout in monthly rates of € 120
As a rule, eligibility is restricted to German citizens who meet the following criteria:
- Students who have passed an intermediate exam or can provide a statement from their education institution stating that the study regulations do not stipulate an intermediate exam and all other credit requirements have been met.
- Students who have finished the first part of a consecutive program, a postgraduate Diplom program, or a master (Magister) program.
- Students in postgraduate, complementary, or graduate education.
- Participants in a domestic or foreign internship completed as part of a student’s studies.
- School students of legal age in the last two years of education who already have a degree qualifying the holder for a profession or will achieve such a degree by finishing their current course of school education
Foreign applicants who meet these criteria can also take out a loan if e.g. one parent or the spouse is a German citizen or if the applicant has been granted asylum, is a recognized refugee, or is stateless. To a large extent, applicants from EU member states who are resident in Germany are also eligible to take out a loan. Other foreigners will be found eligible to receive an educational loan if they have or at least one parent has been employed in Germany for five or three years respectively at the outset of the educational program.
Only applicants aged 36 and younger are eligible to take out an educational loan. As a rule, students can only take out a loan before the end of their 12th semester.
In addition to supplying you with an application form, we are happy to offer you guidance on educational loans.
After the Federal Office of Administration approves the loan, you will conclude a contract with KfW Bank for your educational loan. KfW Bank is also responsible for payment and repayment of educational loans.
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