Studying as a parent

If you have children during your studies, you are entitled to parental allowance as state support for a period of 12 months. If you split your parental leave with your partner, you can receive an additional two months (14 months). As a rule, you will receive at least 67% of your average net income “replaced” in the form of parental allowance. If you have little or no income, you will receive € 300 per month, regardless of your income. As a single parent who is studying, you can also receive parental allowance for 14 months.

If you have children and your place of residence is in Germany, you can apply for child benefit in Germany. You will receive child benefit as soon as the child is born. You should, therefore, submit an application to the Federal Employment Agency (BfA) as soon as possible after the birth. All you need is your child's birth certificate. Child benefit currently amounts to € 204 per month for the first and second child, € 210 per month for the third, and € 235 per month for each additional child from the fourth onwards. If you and your partner* live separately, the person with whom the child is registered as having the main residence will receive the child benefit.

You can apply for care allowance if you no longer receive parental allowance and are looking after your child at home. In this case, for 22 months you will receive – but only until the end of the child’s 36th month – € 150 per child per month.

As a working student, you can only apply for maternity allowance from your health insurance company if you were not insured by your parents before the birth of your child, but rather were independently insured. If this is the case, you will be paid the average daily salary for the last three calendar months before the start of the maternity protection period, reduced by any statutory deductions. The maximum amount to be paid to you is currently € 13 per calendar day. If you have earned more than € 13 per calendar day, your employer must pay you the difference as a supplement. If you have family- or private insurance, you will receive a one-off payment of € 210 from the Federal Insurance Office (Bundesversicherungsamt).

If you are raising your child or children on your own and the other parent does not pay maintenance for the child (or only pays maintenance on an irregular basis), or if the question of paternity is unclear, you can apply for an advance maintenance payment from the responsible Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt). For children up to 5 years of age, you will receive € 160 and for children aged 5 - 11 years, € 212 per month.
Important: You can receive advance maintenance payments for a maximum of 72 months and only until your child is 12 years of age.

As a student, you may be entitled to housing benefit through your child – regardless of whether you yourself are a student loan (BAföG) recipient To do so, you must be the main tenant in the apartment for which you are applying for housing benefit. As housing benefit is not paid retroactively, you should submit your application to the relevant housing allowance office (Wohngeldstelle) as early as possible.

As a student, you may be entitled to housing benefit through your child – regardless of whether you yourself are a student loan (BAföG) recipient To do so, you must be the main tenant in the apartment for which you are applying for housing benefit. As housing benefit is not paid retroactively, you should submit your application to the relevant housing allowance office (Wohngeldstelle) as early as possible.

As a student with a child and insufficient financial support from your parents, you can apply for student loan (BAföG) support just like any other student. The following regulations apply to you as a mother or father.

Leave of Absence due to Pregnancy

If you interrupt your studies due to pregnancy, your student loan (BAföG) will continue to be paid for up to three months. If the interruption lasts longer, you have to take leave of absence. While on a leave of absence, you are not entitled to student loan (BAföG). However, if you are in need of assistance as per the scope of this legislative Act, you can claim subsistence benefits in accordance with Social Code Book II (SGB II).

More Student Loan (BAföG) for Students with Children 

For each of your children living in your household, you as a student loan recipient will receive a supplement to the cost of childcare, which you do not have to pay back. € 130 per month is paid for each child

Prolonged Maximum Period of Eligibility 

If you have to study for a longer period of time because of pregnancy and raising children, you can apply for an extension of your support beyond the maximum period of eligibility. However, raising children will only be considered a reasonable cause until your child reaches the age of 10. The following extensions for receiving support may apply to you:

• one semester for pregnancy / birth
• one semester per year up to the age of 5
• one semester in total for the sixth and seventh year
• one semester in total for the eighth to tenth year

Caution! These enumerations are guidelines only and are not binding. Especially when raising children, this must be the reason for prolonging your studies, in order that you can receive longer-term support. The respective Student Loan Office (BAföG-Amt) will decide whether this is applicable in each individual case. However, if you are granted additional semesters, the payments are a full grant which does not have to be repaid.
If you receive longer-term support, you must note that your obligation to repay is not deferred, but rather continues to be based on the originally assumed maximum duration of the support.

As a student, you may not, in principle, receive a basic income provision (Grundsicherung) pursuant to Social Code Book II (SGB II), but you are entitled to additional benefits due to pregnancy and to so-called one-off benefits as a result of pregnancy and the initial fulfilment of needs for the child. As a single parent, you can also apply for support for the additional needs of single parents. This currently amounts to 36% of the standard rate for a child under 7 or two children under 16. Based on the standard rate of € 424 per month for additional needs, € 152.64 per month is paid for a child under 7 years of age or € 152.64 for two children under 16 years of age. You can also apply for additional needs support for single parents as a student loan (BAföG) recipient.