BAföG (= “Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz” or Federal Education and Training Assistance Act) enables young people to choose a study programme that best suits their skills and interests. BAföG funding is need-based and granted if the student’s own financial means or those of his or her parents or spouse or partner are insufficient for this purpose.

Half of the BAföG financial support is usually a grant, the remaining half an interest-free loan. A ceiling guarantees that students only need to repay a maximum of EUR 10,000 of the total loan amount. 

According to the 21th Social Survey carried out by Deutsches Studentenwerk, 18 per cent of all students enrolled at an officially registered and state-recognised university in Germany received BAföG in the summer semester 2016.

Knowing how to finance one's education strongly influences the decision of whether to take up an acadamic training or not. In recent years, BAföG has ensured that students especially from low-income families did indeed enrol in a programme at a higher education institution.