Funding According to the "German Federal Training Assistance Act" (BAföG)
The Federal Training Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, BAföG) provides financial support for studies if neither the student himself*herself nor his*her parents or spouse/partner in a registered civil partnership can pay for the costs of living and education.
BAföG payments are generally granted 50 percent as a grant and 50 percent as a non-interest-bearing loan. The maximum possible amount is 861 euros per month. Repayment is made to the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne approx. 5 years after the end of the maximum funding period of the first degree programme started. A maximum of 10,000 euros must be repaid. The amount of the instalments is 130 euros per month, repayment is income-dependent.
BAföG can also be used to support a stay abroad. In special situations, the parents' income is not taken into account, you could receive parent-independent funding. You can also apply for grants and loans to bridge short-term bottlenecks, e. g. when you graduate.
Information and advice is available at the BAföG office of the Studentenwerk Potsdam. You can also apply for funding there.
The BAföG calculator helps you to calculate your possible entitlement in advance, but does not always provide reliable results.