Germany: BAföG-Rechner (Financial Aid)

The BAföG Formula (2026)

• 1. Bedarfssatz: €475 Grundbedarf + €380 (own household) or €59 (with parents) Wohnpauschale + €137 insurance supplement if self-insured.
• 2. Parental income: annual gross − €1,230 work-expenses flat rate − 22.3% social-insurance lump-sum = net for BAföG. Divide by 12.
• 3. Grundfreibetrag: €2,540/month for married parents or €1,690 per separated parent. +€770 per dependent sibling.
• 4. Residual rule: 50% of income above the Freibetrag stays allowance-free (+5% per dependent sibling). The remainder is the imputed parental contribution.
• 5. Award: max(0, Bedarfssatz − parental contribution − own income above €603). For Hochschule students the award is split 50/50 between grant and interest-free loan (loan capped at €10,010 total lifetime repayment); for Höhere Fachschule / Akademie students the full award is a debt-free grant.

Important Caveats

This is a high-fidelity simulation of the headline §11–§25 BAföG formula. The official Amt für Ausbildungsförderung also assesses parental assets, foreign-income adjustments, age caps (initial application normally under 45), enrolment in the standard study period (Förderungshöchstdauer), and child-care add-ons (Kinderbetreuungszuschlag +€160 per child).

For higher-education students at Hochschulen, half of the disbursed amount is a debt-free grant; the other half is an interest-free state loan repaid in monthly instalments of €130, capped at €10,010 total.