BAFög & Co.
Student financing with BAföG
The most important way to finance your studies is BAföG.
The aim of BAföG is to give you the opportunity to pursue an education that suits you, your abilities and interests, regardless of your social or economic situation.
A good education - including a degree programme - should not fail because you, your parents or your spouse or registered partner do not have enough money.
This is why Germany has the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG).
Apply for BAföG is worth it!
BAföG is interest-free and half of it is a gift - so you only have to pay back part of it.
Submit your application as early as possible, because BAföG is not paid retroactively.
Whenever you contact us, please state your first and last name and - if available - your grant number. Your documents can then be allocated quickly.
Please remember to notify us immediately of any changes - e.g. a change of subject, changes in your siblings' school or training situation, dropping out of university, etc.
Calculate now how much BAföG you would receive - it's easy with the BAföG calculator from BAföGdigital! BAföGdigital is the official platform for submitting your BAföG application - quickly, securely and free of charge!
How to submit your application
The Paderborn Student Union's Office for Educational Support switched to an electronic file in autumn 2023. If you submit your application digitally, you will help the processing enormously - because all documents that arrive by post must first be digitised manually. With a digital application, you also help to save resources and protect the environment.
Your Submitting documents - this is how it works
Use the free online assistant and simply submit your documents via the portal BAföG-Digital in. The wizard guides you step by step through the form - according to your personal life situation. It's quick, secure and paperless!
Or by (unencrypted) e-mail
If you contact us by e-mail at bafoeg(at)stwpb.de please note the following:
- Only send your documents as saved PDF files.
- We are not allowed to open other file formats (e.g. ZIP files or links) for security reasons.
- The maximum file size is 10 MB.
If you exceed this limit, you will not receive a warning message - your e-mail will not arrive.
Please note: Without successful delivery, your application is not considered to have been submitted on time, even if your e-mail provider shows a confirmation of dispatch.
OTHER OPTIONS FOR SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION
Personal
You can also hand in your documents directly to your caseworker during personal consultation hours. This way, you can clarify any questions on the spot.
Postal
Of course you can also send your documents by post to:
Paderborn Student Union AöR
Office for educational support
Mersinweg 2
33100 Paderborn
Or simply drop them in the letterbox at the main entrance to the administration building.
CONSULTATION HOURS
On site in Paderborn:
- Wednesday: 10:00 - 12:00 a.m.
- Thursday: 13:30 - 15:30
By telephone:
- Tuesday: 10:00 - 12:00 & 13:30 - 15:00
- Wednesday: 13:30 - 15:00
- Thursday: 10:00 - 12:00 a.m.
You are also welcome to arrange individual telephone and personal appointments.
VIDEO CONSULTATION - YOU WOULD PREFER YOUR REQUEST ONLINE CLEAR?
- Are BAföG applications sometimes too complicated?
- Do you just have a quick question - or do you need detailed advice?
- Does your lecture coincide with our counselling times, or is it just too far to come to us?
APPLICATION FORMS AND FORMS
If you would like to submit your application by e-mail or post, please use the following forms. Always submit your forms in full and on time.
For repeat applications, you should submit the documents at least two months before the end of the authorisation period - this will help you avoid payment delays.
- Form 01 for the first application for a Bachelor's or Master's degree programme
- Simplified asset declaration - declaration for trainees with assets under 10,000 euros
- Form 09 for further applications (repeat application)
- Application within the deadline - when time is of the essence
- Form 02 - Proof of a pre-study internship
- Form 03 - from spouses / registered partners / from the father / from the mother
- Supplementary sheet 10 - Extension of the maximum funding period according to § 15 para. 3, 4 or 5 BAföG - individual reasons/flexibility semester/graduation assistance
- Study certificate § 9 BAföG - proof of study
- Students at Paderborn University and students at Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences have the option of submitting a declaration of consent for electronic data exchange between the university and the student services organisation. Please contact your university (Service Centre or Campus Office). All other students must submit the certificate of enrolment in accordance with § 9 BAföG to the relevant educational institution.
If there are problems at home or parents are not cooperating with the application, contact us at an early stage - we will support you.
Additional forms may be required for special life situations.
If you can't find anything suitable here, take a look at the FAQs or contact the BAföG department.
FORMS REQUESTED BY YOUR PROCESSING DEPARTMENT
1. applicant person
1.1 Application within the deadline
1.2 Form 01
1.3 Form 09
1.4 Form for the foreigners authority
1.5 Rental certificate
1.6.1 Health insurance certificate - statutory
1.6.2 Health insurance certificate - private
1.6.3 Health insurance certificate - over 30 years of age
1.7 Bank details of the trainee
1.10 Simplified determination of assets
1.11 Declaration of a property of the trainee
1.13 Signature missing on form 01/09
1.14 Declaration of unknown whereabouts of parents
1.15 Form 04
1.16 Form 08
1.17 Application for deferral by the trainee
1.18 Deferral conditions
1.19 Guarantee declaration
1.20 Declaration on the flexibility semester
2. academic institution
2.1 Form 02
2.2 Declaration on the 1st change of specialisation
2.3 Form 05
2.4 Request for late submission of the proof of performance
2.5 Application for funding beyond the maximum funding period
2.6 Request for extension due to additional languages
2.7 Application for graduation assistance
2.8 Declaration at the end of training
2.9 Notification of change of university
3. parents / spouse / registered partner
3.1 Form 03
3.2 Declaration if the tax assessment notice is not yet available
3.3 Proof of education for siblings
3.4 Declaration on the end and/or change of training Siblings
3.5 Application for extraordinary expenses
3.6 Form 07
4. information sheets
4.1 Info § 7 para. 3 Change of specialisation
4.2 Info § 8 Nationality
4.4 Info § 10 Age limit
4.5 Info § 11 Para. 3 Parent-independent
4.6 Info § 14b Childcare allowance
4.7 Info § 15a Maximum funding period
4.8 Info § 15 para. 3 to 5 beyond the maximum funding period
4.9 Info § 21 ff. Additional income
4.10 Info § 24 para. 3 Update
4.11 Info § 26 ff. Assets
4.12 Info § 36 Advance payments
4.13 Info § 48 para. 1 and para. 2 Proof of performance
4.14 Information on studying with a disability
4.15 Info Recording the tax ID
4.16 Info study start aid § 56
Legal information
No legal claims can be derived from the information provided here.
The statutory provisions apply exclusively.
Laws and regulations only apply in their most current version as published in the Federal Law Gazette or Federal Gazette.
Maximum funding period
The maximum funding period is generally based on the standard period of study of the respective degree programme: Information sheet - Maximum funding period (PDF)
Cancellation of studies
Have you cancelled your studies or are you planning to do so? Then contact your BAföG officer immediately.
Important: Your BAföG entitlement ends as soon as you no longer actually pursue your studies - not just when you exmatriculate. Your university will not automatically inform the BAföG department of your cancellation. So please notify them yourself in good time.
Completion of the degree programme
Congratulations on successfully completing your studies! If you are still receiving BAföG, notify the BAföG office immediately when you finish your studies. The funding will continue until the overall results are announced, but no later than the end of the second month after your last compulsory academic achievement.
Let the office know the date of your last performance and the date of the first notification of your passing grade. Afterwards, please also submit a copy of your final certificate.
If there is an overpayment despite timely notification and you are unable to refund the amount immediately, you can file a Deferral request (PDF) place.
Repayment of the loan
A few years after you graduate, you will receive a letter from the Federal Office of Administration to repay your BAföG loan.
Approximately 4.5 years after the end of your maximum funding period, you will receive a notification in which your BAföG periods and loan amounts are listed.
All information on repayment options, waivers and the current repayment modalities can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Administration.
The Federal Office of Administration will provide you with detailed information about loan processing.
Tip from the Paderborn Student Union
Keep your BAföG notifications in a safe place so that you can later check whether the Federal Office of Administration can reclaim them.
If your address changes, please inform the Federal Office of Administration directly - preferably stating your grant number.
Further bafög information on studying with child
Study funding offers students with child(ren) the following options to compensate for any disadvantages that may arise from bringing up a child:
BAföG:
- Exceeding the age limit at the start of studies
- Higher requirements, childcare allowance
Information sheet - Childcare allowance (PDF)
Form 04 - Childcare allowance (PDF) - Additional income allowance for students
- Additional capital allowance for students
- Late submission of the proof of performance
Info sheet - Proof of performance (PDF)
Application for late submission § 48 paragraph 2 BAföG (PDF) - Funding beyond the maximum funding period
Information sheet - Funding beyond the maximum funding period (PDF)
Application for funding beyond the maximum funding period (PDF)
Additional information: Studying with Disability
For students with disabilities and chronic illnesses who do not have sufficient funds of their own to finance their education-related maintenance, the BAföG (Federal Training Assistance Act) is the main source of funding.
The BAföG basically provides for the following regulations, which are intended to compensate for disability-specific disadvantages:
- Exceeding the age limit at the start of studies
- Additional capital allowance for students
- Additional hardship allowance when determining the income of parents / spouse / registered partner
Application - Extraordinary burden (PDF) - Late submission of the proof of performance
Info sheet - Proof of performance (PDF) - Application - Late submission of proof of performance (PDF)
- Change of specialisation for an irrefutable reason
- Funding beyond the maximum funding period
Information sheet - Funding beyond the maximum funding period (PDF)
Application - Funding beyond the maximum funding period (PDF)
The German Student Union provides comprehensive information on their Homepage. A detailed Manual is available there.
Note
In addition to BAföG, students with disabilities could also be entitled to social welfare benefits for their accommodation if their accommodation is more expensive than usual due to their disability.
You can find a possible possibility of financial support for necessary aids here.
Seek advice from the social services.
Backdemands
The procedure for receiving a recovery notice depends on the respective institution that issued the notice:
Reclaim notice from the Paderborn student union
Have you received a new BAföG notification from the Paderborn Student Union with a reclaim? In principle, you must settle this claim within the specified period.
If you do not currently have the financial means to settle the repayment claim, you have the option of applying for a deferral.
Reclaim notice from the Federal Office of Administration (loan part)
If you were entitled to educational support during your studies, the funding amount was usually granted as a grant and a loan. You must repay the loan portion. The Federal Office of Administration is responsible for loan administration and loan collection.
You will receive a letter from the Federal Office of Administration reminding you of the BAföG loan payments made at that time.
This notification lists the periods of BAföG receipt and the loan amounts.
If you have any questions about the decision and repayment modalities, please contact the Federal Office of Administration or use the BAföG-online portal.
The procedure and the individual phases are described on the Website of the Federal Office of Administration clearly presented.
Performanceproof
After the fourth semester, the certificate of achievement must be submitted in accordance with § 48 BAföG, which certifies that the usual level of education has been achieved up to that point.
Info sheet - Proof of performance (PDF)
Form 05 - Certificate of performance (PDF)
You have the following options for having your performance level certified:
- Certificate of the performance level of the third semester
(Presentation of the certificate in the first four months of the fourth semester) - Certificate of the performance level of the fourth semester
(Presentation of the certificate in the first four months of the fifth semester)
If you have not submitted the performance record in the above-mentioned periods, the performance status of the respective current semester must be documented.
You can find out what the „usual achievements“ are and who is authorised to sign the certificate (Form 05) from the Central Examinations Office or the BAföG officer for your degree programme. In the case of teacher training programmes, proof of performance must be submitted for each subject.
In some Bachelor's degree programmes, proof from the Central Examination Office of the ECTS credits earned is also sufficient.
In general, it is advisable to enquire at an early stage which achievements and how many ECTS credits are required for the certificate.
can the performance record be submitted later?
This is possible if there are facts that are likely to justify a later overrun of the maximum funding period. Such serious reasons are in particular
- Participation as an elected member in statutory committees and statutory bodies of the university as well as in statutory bodies of student self-administration and student services,
- a disability, pregnancy or the care and upbringing of a child up to the age of fourteen,
- Illness,
- Home care for close relatives.
If the important reason is recognised, the transcript of records can be submitted a reasonable time later. The 5th semester must be used to catch up on the training backlog.
Late submission of the proof of performance does not change the maximum funding period. A corresponding application for funding beyond the maximum funding period can then be submitted at the appropriate time. In this application, reference can be made to recognising the reasons for the late submission of the transcript of records.
Application for late submission § 48 paragraph 2 BAföG (PDF).
Frequent Questions about Bafög (FAQ)
Your contact persons
The responsibilities are based on the First letters of your surname.
Tips for Contact us
- Always enter your first name, surname and date of birth.
- If you already have a grant number, it is best to add this as well.
- Send your documents only as saved PDF files.
- Other formats (e.g. ZIP files or links) are not permitted for security reasons. Do not open.
- The maximum file size is 10 MB.
If you exceed this limit, you will not receive a warning - and your e-mail will not arrive.
In this case, your application is valid not deemed to have been submitted on time, even if you receive a dispatch confirmation from your e-mail provider.
Contact persons for DIE surnames a-e
Letters: A-Bqu
Mrs B. Beckmann-Fiedler
Room: 1.03 (Mersinweg 2)
Letters: Bra - E
Mrs M. Amedick
Room: 1.13 (Mersinweg 2)
Contact persons for DIE surnames F-O
Letters: F-Hd
Mrs L. Henzel
Room: 2.08 (Mersinweg 2)
Letters: Hea - Kk
Mrs S. Kutowski
Room: 1.12 (Mersinweg 2)
Letters: Kl-Ld
Mrs K. Köpping
Room: 2.09 (Mersinweg 2)
Letters: Le - O
Mr M. Kowol
Room: 1.01 (Mersinweg 2)
Contact persons for DIE surnames P-Z
Letters: P-Rg
Mrs B. Dizdar
Room: 2.09 (Mersinweg 2)
Letters: Rh - Sth
Mr D. Lausen
Room: 2.12 (Mersinweg 2)
Letters: Sti - Z
Mrs A. Brakhahn
Room: 1.04 (Mersinweg 2)
Further contact persons
Student loans
Mrs B. Dizdar
Room: 2.09 (Mersinweg 2)
Reclaim
Mrs K. Köpping
Room: 2.09 (Mersinweg 2)
Group management
Mrs E. Gede
Room: 1.06 (Mersinweg 2)
Group management
Mrs K. Maciej
Room: 1.07 (Mersinweg 2)
Group management
Mrs R. Meyer
Room: 2.13 (Mersinweg 2)
Department management
Mrs N. Yilmaz-Fischer
Room: 2.10 (Mersinweg 2)
Department secretariat
Mrs B. Volkmer
Room: 2.11 (Mersinweg 2)
Hotline of the Federal Ministry
For general questions about BAföG, there is also a toll-free hotline provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. You can call the BAföG hotline under the number 0800-223 63 41 or 0800-BAFOEG1 from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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