BAFög & Co.

Study start-up aid - 1,000 € grant to start your studies

Get off to a good start to your studies - with the study start-up grant, you receive a one-off subsidy of €1,000 to help you cover your initial expenses.
Whether it's a laptop, teaching materials or a rent deposit - a lot often comes together at the start of your studies. Study start-up assistance supports young people who receive social benefits when starting at a university or academy.

The grant is independent of BAföG and can be applied for in addition.

Two people sit outside in front of a laptop and each have a piece of paper with a text in front of them, which they mark.
Five people walk outside in a row next to each other towards the camera and tell each other something.
A person holds 50, 20 and 10 euro notes fanned out in both hands.
Five people stand outside in a semi-circle in the sunshine and talk to each other.

Who can receive the study start-up grant?

The funding is aimed at students who are enrolling at a university in Germany, an EU member state or Switzerland for the first time and are under 25 years of age at the start of their studies.

Another prerequisite is that you have received certain social benefits in the month before the start of your studies - for example:

  • Citizen's income
  • Housing benefit or
  • Child supplement (not child benefit)

You can find out exactly which services are recognised here.

Please note: There is a statutory deadline for the application - so submit your application as early as possible!

How do you apply for the study start-up grant?

The application can only be submitted online via the BAföG Digital be submitted. The application is official, secure and uncomplicated.

Deadlines for the application

The study start-up grant must be applied for by the end of the second month after the start of the programme, e.g:

  • 30.04. or 31.10. for students of katho PB and HSHL
  • 31.05. or 30.11. for students of the University of Paderborn

arrow right top

Frequent Questions about study start-up support (FAQ)

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR STUDY START-UP GRANT?

If so, we are available to answer your questions under the following options:

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.

Your contact persons

The responsibilities are based on the First letters of your surname.

  • 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 does 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: 2.07 (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)