News about BAföG

Announced changes to BAföG from autumn 2024¹

1. Increase in BAföG allowances: The allowances will increase by 5.25 %.
2. Increase in the requirement rates:
   - The basic requirement will increase by 5% (from 452€ to 475€).
   - The housing requirement outside the parental home will increase from 360€ to 380€.
   - The supplements for health and long-term care insurance will be updated.
3. Mini-job regulations: Mini-jobs remain exempt from deductions, the higher mini-job limit of 556€ will apply from autumn 2024.
4. Maximum funding period: The maximum funding period now includes the standard period of study plus a "flexibility semester". This can be used in either the Bachelor's or Master's degree programme.
5. Easier change of specialisation and discontinuation of studies: In future, it will be possible to change specialisation or discontinue studies up to the start of the 5th semester without affecting BAföG funding.
6. One-off study start-up grant: First-semester students under the age of 25 from need-based communities will receive a one-off study start-up grant of 1,000€ (provided that one of eight social benefits was received in the month prior to the start of studies).

Further information including FAQ can be found on the website of the Federal Government.

Reminder of the follow-up application

Have you already submitted your follow-up application² for BAföG? Your last BAföG notification will tell you how long your current approval period is valid for. This is usually one year.

We recommend that you submit the follow-up application at least two months before the end of the approval period to ensure that your funding is as complete as possible. You can use the digital form 9 and submit the application online via BAföGdigital without any paper forms. You can also upload any missing documents at a later date using the application assistant or the BAföGdigital app.

The advantages are:

• The documents are stored directly with us for your funding case and transmitted via a secure communication channel (e-mails with attachments are not sent to the processing department).

Important: If you have already submitted your follow-up application in paper form or intend to do so, you cannot (subsequently) upload any documents via the application assistant or the app.

If you have any questions, you can reach the BAföG office during telephone consultation hours on Monday and Thursday between 9:00 - 12:00. Or simply drop by for a personal consultation. This takes place on Tuesday from 9.00 am – 12.00 pm and 1.00 pm – 4.00 pm and on Thursday between 1.00 pm – 4.00. Our General Counselling Office will also be happy to answer general questions about BAföG applications by telephone on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm on +49 331 3706308.
 

¹ According to the draft of a twenty-ninth law to amend the Federal Training Assistance Act (29th BAföGÄndG), printed matter 20/11313, as of 13 June 2024. The new allowances and requirement rates are to apply from the beginning of the winter semester 2024/2025 for new BAföG grants and from 10/2024 at the latest for continued funding.
² Please consider this e-mail as irrelevant if you have already submitted your follow-up application. This is currently being processed. Therefore, please refrain from making further enquiries.

Studentenwerk Potsdam
Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts
Amt für Ausbildungsförderung

Babelsberger Str. 2, 14473 Potsdam

+49 331 3706-301
Fax: +49 331 3706-325
bafoeg@studentenwerk-potsdam.de