Money & taxes
BAföG
BAföG is Germany's federal student financial aid: half grant, half interest-free loan, up to €992 per month (2024/25 rates onward). Eligibility depends mainly on parental income, and most international students qualify only after several years of prior residence or work in Germany.
The Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz funds students whose families cannot finance their education. The headline numbers: a maximum monthly rate of €992 including housing and health-insurance supplements, paid half as a grant and half as an interest-free state loan whose repayment is capped at €10,010 regardless of how much you received.
Eligibility hinges on parental income, your own assets, age limits, and study progress; the Förderungshöchstdauer ties payments to the standard period of study. Applications go to the Studierendenwerk's BAföG office and famously involve patience and paperwork, but a rejected application can still be worth filing because of follow-on benefits like exemption from broadcasting fees.
What it means for working students
International students face the toughest hurdle: BAföG generally requires EU citizenship with worker status, a permanent residence title, or five years of prior lawful residence, so most non-EU students fund themselves with working student jobs instead. If you do receive BAföG, watch the earnings allowance: income from a job up to roughly the mini-job level leaves your aid untouched, while higher working student salaries reduce it. Report income changes proactively; clawbacks hurt more than reduced rates.