BAFög & Co.

With a student loan your Financing your studies

Studying costs money - for rent, teaching materials or everyday life. A student loan can finance your studies if BAföG or scholarships are not enough. Unlike BAföG, you have to pay the amount in full and usually with interest repay.

As the conditions vary depending on the provider, you should compare offers carefully. Student loans are particularly suitable for bridging or as a supplement to other forms of financing. Counselling will help you to correctly assess the opportunities and risks.

Here are various loan offers that can help you:

Our offers
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BAföG state loan – Support for graduation

Are you about to complete your studies and still need financial support? Then the BAföG state loan may be an option for you. The loan can be granted for a maximum of twelve months and is aimed at students who need help to complete their studies after the end of the standard period of study.

The prerequisite is that you can probably complete your studies within this time - i.e. within four semesters after the end of the maximum funding period or an extended funding period in accordance with § 15 Para. 3 BAföG (§ 15 Para. 5 BAföG).

The application will be submitted directly to your responsible caseworker and processed there. In addition to the application for graduation assistance, you must - as with a repeat application - submit all the usual forms and supporting documents, as the amount of support depends on the BAföG regulations.

The BAföG state loan is interest-free, but must be repaid in full to the Federal Office of Administration.

Application for graduation assistance

Daka student loan - Interest-free support for your studies

Students can use the loan from the first semester and for the entire standard period of study - not just in the final phase.
The maximum loan amount was also increased to €12,000.

To obtain a Daka loan, you must:

  • be enrolled at Paderborn University, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences (HSHL) or the Catholic University of Applied Sciences NRW, Paderborn Department,
  • provide a guarantee as security.

There is no legal entitlement to the loan. Approval is only possible if the award guidelines are fulfilled and sufficient funding is available.

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PAYOUT & CONDITIONS

Payment is made in monthly instalments according to an individual payment plan. Up to an additional €6,000 can be granted for a study-related stay abroad.

Advice & application

Get comprehensive advice on the requirements, payment and repayment - from Mrs Dizdar from the Studierendenwerk Paderborn or via the Daka application hotline: 0221 78955-277

You can now also apply for the interest-free Daka student loan online. Further information, the flyer and the lending guidelines can be found directly on the Daka NRW website.

DAKA-Apply for a student loan

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KfW student loan - Financial support for your studies

The KfW student loan can be a possible option to ensure that your studies are still secure.

But before you decide, make sure you are well informed: the loan is interest-bearing (borrowing rate: 5.88 % p.a., effective interest rate: 6.04 % p.a., as of 1 October 2025) - financing via KfW should therefore be considered carefully.

Our tip:
Get comprehensive advice beforehand - there may be more favourable or interest-free alternatives for you, such as the Daka student loan or BAföG state loan. Talk to us - we will help you find the right solution.

If the KfW Student Loan is the right choice for you, you can find all the requirements and information directly on the KfW website.

Frequent Questions about student loans (FAQ)

Your contact person

Student loans

Mrs B. Dizdar

Room: 2.09 (Mersinweg)

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