BAföG Calculator 2026
How much BAföG do you get per month? Needs, parental income, side job and savings – under the BAföG act as of 2026
As of September 2026Basis: Sections 11, 13, 13a, 21–25 BAföG (Federal Training Assistance Act)Calculated in your browser – nothing is stored
Housing
Family insurance usually up to 25; after that student or voluntary insurance
Parents
Annual figure from the tax assessment two years back (for 2026/27: 2024) – for employees gross pay minus work expenses
With a joint tax assessment, enter the whole tax here and 0 for parent 2
e.g. school children – they raise the parents' allowance
Parental income is shared among all funded children
Side job, savings, age, childrenSide job €0 · savings €0 · 21 years
Average over the award period
Exempt up to €15,000, from age 30 up to €45,000
Sets the savings allowance
€160 childcare supplement per child
BAföG per month
of which €345 grant
€690
€690Your needs amount to €992. After deducting €302.29 you receive €690 per month – €345 as a grant and €345 as an interest-free loan.
Your needs of €992
- BAföG€690.0070%
- Parental income€302.2930%
- Basic needsUniversity, academy, higher technical college (Section 13 BAföG)
- €475
- Housing allowanceOwn place
- + €380
- Health and long-term care insurance
- + €137
- Needs
- €992
- Parental incomeIncome €3,144.58 per month, allowance €2,540, 50% of the rest exempt (+ 5% per sibling without funding)
- − €302.29
- BAföGrounded to full euros
- €690
- of which grant
- €345
- of which interest-free loanRepayment capped at €10,010
- €345
Good to know
Apply in time
BAföG is paid at the earliest from the month in which you apply (Section 15 BAföG) – so apply no later than your first month of studies.
The loan is capped
Half is an interest-free loan. Repayment starts five years after the maximum funding period in instalments of at least €130; after 77 instalments, i.e. at most €10,010, the rest is waived (Section 18 BAföG).
BAföG independent of parents
From age 30 at the start of studies or after five years of work, parental income is not counted (Section 11(3) BAföG). In that case enter €0 for your parents.
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Up to what parental income is there BAföG?
With your other entries, the entitlement ends at a countable parental income of €4,524 per month (€54,288 per year) – meaning income after taxes and the social security allowance.
Parental income is taken from the calendar year two years before the award period starts (Section 24 BAföG).
How BAföG is calculated
BAföG covers your needs for living and education (Section 11 BAföG). For students these are €475 basic needs (Section 13(1)), plus €380 for your own place or €59 if you live with your parents (Section 13(2)). If you have your own health and long-term care insurance, €102 and €35 are added (Section 13a), and €160 for each of your own children under 14 (Section 14b). The maximum is therefore €992 per month.
Your own income, your savings and your parents’ income are counted against these needs in that order. Parental income is taken from the calendar year two years before the award period starts (Section 24) – for the 2026/27 winter semester that is 2024. Half of the award is a grant, the other half an interest-free loan (Section 17(2)).
Student needs rates 2026
- €475 basic needs
- University, academy, higher technical college (Section 13(1) no. 2)
- €380 or €59 housing
- Own place or living with parents (Section 13(2))
- €102 + €35 insurance
- With your own student health and long-term care insurance (Section 13a)
- €160 per child under 14
- Childcare supplement, paid fully as a grant (Section 14b)
Worked examples 2026
- Basic needs
- €475
- Housing allowance
- €380
- Health and long-term care insurance
- €137
- BAföG per month
- €992
- of which grant
- €496
- of which interest-free loan
- €496
- Needs (own place, student insurance)
- €992
- Income minus 22.3% social security allowance per parent minus taxes
- €43,505 per year
- Parental income per month
- €3,625.42
- Allowance (€2,540 + €770 for the sibling)
- €3,310
- Counted: 45% of the amount above
- €141.94
- BAföG per month (rounded)
- €850
- €800 minus €102.50 work expenses and 22.3% social security allowance
- €541.96
- Allowance
- €389
- Counted
- €152.96
- BAföG per month (rounded)
- €839
Parental income, side job and savings
What is counted
- 1Parental income (Sections 21, 25)Total income from the tax assessment, minus the social security allowance (employees 22.3%, at most €17,200 per year) and income and church tax. €2,540 per month stays exempt for married parents, €1,690 each for separated parents, plus €770 per sibling without eligible education. Of the rest, 50% stays exempt plus 5% per such child.
- 2Siblings in education (Section 11(4))If siblings study or train with a funding entitlement, the countable parental income is shared equally among all of them.
- 3Own side job (Section 23)The work expense allowance and a 22.3% social security allowance are deducted from gross pay; €389 per month stays exempt (since 1 January 2026). A mini-job up to €603 is therefore not counted.
- 4Own savings (Sections 29, 30)€15,000 stays exempt, from age 30 €45,000. Anything above is spread over the months of the award period, usually twelve.
Frequently asked questions about BAföG
Maximum rate, income limits, side jobs and repayment
What is the maximum BAföG rate in 2026?
For students with their own place and their own health and long-term care insurance, €992 per month: €475 basic needs, €380 housing allowance, €102 and €35 insurance supplement. With your own child under 14, €160 per child is added.
How much may my parents earn?
That depends on taxes, siblings and your needs. For married parents without other children, €2,540 per month stays exempt; half of the income above is counted. With maximum needs of €992, the entitlement therefore ends at a countable parental income of €4,524 per month (after taxes and the social security allowance). The calculator shows the limit for your entries.
How much can I earn on the side with BAföG?
A mini-job up to €603 per month is not counted: after the work expense allowance and the 22.3% social security allowance, less than the exempt €389 remains. Above that, every additional euro reduces BAföG proportionally.
Which parental income counts?
Income in the calendar year two years before the award period starts (Section 24 BAföG), so 2024 for the 2026/27 winter semester. If income has dropped significantly since then, an update application can help.
Do I have to pay BAföG back?
Only half, the interest-free loan. Repayment starts five years after the end of the maximum funding period in instalments of at least €130 per month. After 77 instalments, i.e. at most €10,010, the rest is waived (Section 18 BAföG).
Can I get BAföG without my parents’ income?
Yes, if you are 30 or older when your studies begin, or if you worked for five years after turning 18 and supported yourself (Section 11(3) BAföG). In that case enter €0 for your parents.
From when is BAföG paid?
From the month your studies begin, but at the earliest from the month you apply (Section 15 BAföG). There is no BAföG for past months.