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Apply for an education loan

Service Description

The education loan supports you in financing your school education or studies by providing you with financial relief so that you can concentrate on completing your school or university education.

The loan is limited in time and has a low interest rate.

Your income and assets or those of your parents or your spouse or partner are generally irrelevant for the approval of the educational loan. However, you do not have a legal claim to approval of the educational loan. You can apply for the loan even if you are already receiving BAföG or a KfW student loan.

Funding amount and funding period

The educational loan can be granted as a loan up to a maximum of EUR 7,200 per training period. It can be used for a maximum of 24 months per training period.

For a degree course, the loan can initially only be granted until the end of the 12th university semester. After the end of the 12th university semester, you must provide proof when applying that you have been admitted to the final examination and can complete the course within the possible funding period (24 months).

For school-based training, an education loan can only be approved in the last 24 months of training. In addition, you must complete your training with a vocational qualification or have previously obtained a vocational qualification. The training must be eligible for BAföG funding.

Studying abroad

You can also receive an education loan if you are studying at a foreign university. The foreign educational institution must be recognized as equivalent. The Federal Office of Administration will check for you whether this is the case.
Your nationality is irrelevant when applying for an education loan. The decisive factor is that the residence permit granted to you does not prevent you from applying. The Federal Office of Administration will also check this for you.

Disbursement and repayment

The KfW Bankengruppe will pay you the education loan in monthly installments of EUR 100.00, EUR 200.00 or EUR 300.00 each. You cannot change the amount of the installment you have applied for during the payment period you have applied for. However, you can receive a payment on account if you claim a corresponding need, for example for cost-intensive work materials. The advance payment can be up to EUR 3,600 if the total of 24 monthly installments and EUR 7,200 are not exceeded.

Repayment begins 4 years after the due date of the first payment. Repayment is made in monthly installments of EUR 120.00.

You can repay the loan in full or in part at any time without incurring any additional costs or fees.
Interest

Interest is charged for the term of the loan. The interest rate is variable and is based on the 6-month EURIBOR (European Interbank Offered Rate). It is fixed on April 1 and October 1 for six months at a time. The nominal interest rate includes an annual administration fee of one percent.

You can apply for an education loan in writing or online at the Federal Office of Administration (BVA).

Process flow

You can apply for an education loan online or in writing to the Federal Office of Administration.

  • Go to the online education loan portal of the Federal Office of Administration and register there.
  • Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation by e-mail. Follow the steps in the e-mail to complete the registration.
  • Once you have successfully registered, you can log in with your e-mail address and password. You will find the corresponding application form in the portal.
  • Complete the online application and send it off. Information is required on:
    • Personal details
    • Training course
    • Training institution
    • Study or school education to check whether your studies have progressed or whether you have a professional qualification or have achieved a professional qualification with the training to be funded - desired amount of the payment installments (maximum EUR 300.00)
    • Bank details
  • After submitting your application, you will receive an online identification number to identify your application.
  • Once you have registered, you can also download the application, complete it on your computer and print it out or print it out blank and complete it by hand. In the latter case, the application must be signed.
  • Compile the required documents for your application and submit them to the Federal Office of Administration by post or scanned by e-mail within 14 days, quoting the online ID.
  • If you register with the electronic ID card, more functions are available to you.
  • The Federal Office of Administration will check your application to see whether the eligibility requirements have been met.
  • If documents are missing, the Federal Office of Administration will request them.
  • If you meet the requirements:
  • You will receive a notice of approval and a framework loan agreement from KfW Bankengruppe (loan agreement offer).
  • For acceptance, you must forward the signed loan agreement and confirmation that your identity has been verified (confirmation of identity) to KfW Bankengruppe.
  • KfW is responsible for concluding the loan agreement, paying out the installments and subsequent repayment. Payments will be made to your current account in Germany or, if you are studying abroad, usually to your foreign current account. Your foreign current account must be in the country in which you are studying.
  • If you do not or do not yet meet the requirements:
  • You will receive a rejection notice. You can appeal against this if necessary or submit a new application at a later date.

Requirements

Applications for educational loans can be made by

  • students of full age, pupils up to a maximum of 36 years of age whose education is already advanced

Further requirements:

  • Only courses at institutions that are eligible for funding under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) are eligible for funding.
  • Own current account in Germany or, if studying abroad, also there.

Students:

  • As a student, you can receive an education loan if you:
    • are studying full-time for a Bachelor's, Master's or a degree with a state examination or diploma,
    • are pursuing additional, supplementary or postgraduate studies and have already completed an undergraduate degree,
    • are spending a semester abroad as part of your studies,
    • are studying at a foreign university that is equivalent to a domestic university,
    • or are completing an internship in Germany or abroad (including outside Europe) have passed the intermediate examination for an undergraduate degree course, e.g. a Bachelor's degree course

Note:
If your study regulations do not provide for an intermediate examination, you must have completed the usual coursework of the first two years of study - or the first year of study for students on Bachelor's degree programs.

Students:

  • As a pupil, you can receive an educational loan if you:
    • are undertaking full-time training at a training institution eligible for funding under the BAföG,
    • have a vocational qualification or achieve a vocational qualification with the training to be funded and
    • are in the penultimate or final year of training.

Note: (three-year) school-based training is generally only funded from the second year of school attendance.

Which documents are required?

You must submit your application:

  • for pupils:
    • a copy of both sides of the identity card or passport with confirmation of registration (not older than 3 months)
    • current certificate from the school about the start, end and goal of the training
    • Certificate of internship, if applicable
  • for students:
    • Copy of identity card or passport on both sides with confirmation of registration (not older than 3 months)
    • current certificate of enrollment with proof of the completed university/study semesters and subject semesters
    • If applicable: Intermediate examination certificate or written declaration from your university that no intermediate examination is planned in your degree program and that the usual achievements of the first two years of study, or the first year of study in the case of a Bachelor's degree, have been completed, or an "intermediate examination form" completed by the university
    • Proof of the additional, supplementary or postgraduate studies pursued and a certificate of completion of an undergraduate degree program
    • Proof of the duration of the internship and the connection with the visit to the training institution (in the case of an internship abroad with a German translation of the proof)
    • Proof that the credits earned during the semester abroad can be credited
    • In the case of funding beyond the 12th university semester, proof that you have been admitted to the final examination (final examination form)
  • additionally for foreign nationals:
    • Copy of the passport
    • Proof of residence permit
    • current registration certificate
    • and, if applicable
    • form on residence status completed by the responsible immigration office
  • in the case of a German spouse or partner:
    • Copy of the marriage/partner certificate
    • for a German parent:
    • Copy of the birth certificate

Note: Depending on the individual case, further documents may be required, which you can find in the online application. The Federal Office of Administration will request any missing documents.

What are the fees?

none

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

  • Submission of the required documents: within 14 days of submitting the application, stating the online ID

Processing duration

Processing time can take several weeks.

Legal basis

Applications / forms

  • Contradiction
  • Administrative court action

Appeal

Further Information

Author

Forwarding service: Deep link to the original portal

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Technically approved by

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Professionally released on

15.07.2021

Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)

Start your request directly online:

Competent Authority

Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA), Bildungskredit Vergabe, BF I 4

Address
50728 Köln, Stadt
Telephone
+49 228 99358-4492
Fax
+49 228 9910358-4850
E-Mail
Contact us
WWW
BVA contact form for the education loan sector
DE-Mail
poststelle@bva-bund.de-mail.de
Remark: Please note that you can only send a message to the DE-Mail account if you also have a DE-Mail account.
Opening times

Monday-Thursday: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Further Authorities

Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA), Bildungskredit Vergabe, BF I 4
Postal address
50728 Köln, Stadt
Telephone
+49 228 99358-4492
Fax
+49 228 9910358-4850
E-Mail
Contact us
DE-Mail
poststelle@bva-bund.de-mail.de
Remark: Please note that you can only send a message to the DE-Mail account if you also have a DE-Mail account.