International Student Edition

Current Corona Information

Yes. To prevent Infections, we decided to close the face-to-face advice. But you can find the contact overview further up on this page.

Of course. Our clerks will process your BAföG application despite the Corona crisis. Please check first whether your documents are complete. Our detailed checklist will help you - you can find it on our website under BAföG. The notifications are sent by post as usual.

No. You can take a deep breath, because Minister Karliczek from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) made it clear in her decree that BAföG recipients should have clarity and planning security in the current exceptional situation. According to the report of the BMBF.

You are not alone - our BAföG colleagues will help you through the crisis!

No, as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research has informed us, the postponement of the start of lectures will in no way affect BAföG entitlement. Students (whether they are first-year students or already receiving support) have no reason to fear that they will not receive any money in or for April 2020. Self-study and online studies also count as study activities. Please contact our department for information on financing your studies. It is important that the BAföG application must be submitted in April 2020 at the latest if you have not yet received a BAföG decision for the summer semester 2020. 

If your parents earn less now, perhaps because of reduced work, your chances for BAföG funding or higher BAföG funding are greater.

Case 1:

If you did not receive BAföG or did not apply for it because of your parents' income, but your parents earn less now, you can always submit a new application for BAföG and update it to reflect your parents' current income. 

Case 2:

If you already receive BAföG but your parents' income is currently lower (for example, due to reduced work), you can apply for a BAföG update and your BAföG office will check the amount of your current BAföG entitlement. 

For further questions please contact our Student Financing department.

Yes, provided that your parents are still economically capable; otherwise you may be entitled to BAföG. Self-study (reading specialist literature, research for and writing of homework etc.) or online studies also count as a study activity, especially in the current situation.

In exceptional cases, your parents may have to accept delays and interruptions of your studies and the resulting extension of your maintenance payments. In the case of delays and interruptions of your studies, each individual case will be considered, especially if there are special reasons for delay that merit recognition. In the present situation, which is completely unforeseeable for everyone, a delay in education, provided that it is due to official measures, is entirely without fault. However, you should use the extended lecture-free time for your self-study.

Attention: There is no BAföG entitlement for semesters during leave of absence - which are breaks from studying - asthere is no study programme! Please be sure to find out before a leave of absence what consequences this would have on your financing. You can contact our social counselling service for information on the requirements for receiving benefits in accordance with the Social Security Code II (basic security, "Hartz IV") during this semester, if necessary.

Not automatically. If you are currently unemployed due to loss of your job or have no wage income, you are not automatically entitled to housing benefits. The basic prerequisites for BAföG remains in place: your eligibility and acheck your monthly living expenses. In short: The eligibility criteria for housing benefits remain the same. LINKr

No, you are not currently entitled to ALG II benefits. Full-time students are generally not entitled to benefits under the Social Security Code II.

Attention: International Students have other conditions. Please ask our Social Support Team.

Exceptions exist in only a few cases, for example:

- Taking a semester break due to pregnancy/child rearing or a leave of absence due to their own illness/impairment. It is important that during such a leave of absence there should not be any study activities, otherwise ALG II benefits are at risk and can be recovered. In addition, other conditions must be fulfilled. You candiscuss whether there is a claim to ALG II with our Social Counselling department.

- Part-time studies due to pregnancy or child rearing and in case of leave of absence due to own illness or impairment. There are a few things to consider, though, and other requirements must be met. Let our social counselling service advise you.

- Hardship, for example in the case of an interruption of financing and/or of advanced studies loans can be provided according to § 27 para. 3 SGB II and are approved by the job centre.

- Additional requirements for certain beneficiaries according to § 21 SGB II; this concerns students with children or students with disabilities.

Online job portals. They are also available specifically for students, even with a regional focus. There are some areas which have increased personnel requirements.

For example:

- Food and beverage delivery services

- Supermarkets, grocery stores

- Logistics

- Cleaning companies

- Petrol stations

- Harvest helper. A new portal was launched for this: www.daslandhilft.de

No. Working students are exempt from health, nursing and unemployment insurance. It follows that those who don't pay into unemployment insurance, can't receive work benefits.

This is where we need to get some leverage: The Infection Protection Act (IfSG) allows in part very drastic measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and facilitate their treatment. Measures can be bans on activity or quarantine. Concrete official prohibition of activities or officially ordered quarantine measures against someone who may present a risk of infection, could trigger a claim for compensation under the German Protection against Infection Act (IfSG).

Please note: voluntary quarantine, for example, does not trigger a claim for compensation. According to § 56 para. 2 IfSG compensation is calculated according to loss of earnings. For the first six weeks, compensation for the amount of the loss of earnings is granted. From the beginning of the seventh week, it is paid at the level of long-term illnessbenefit in accordance with §47, Subsection 1, Book 5 of the German Social Security Code (Sozialgesetzbuch), insofar as the loss of earnings does not exceed the annual earnings limit applicable to the statutory health insurance obligation.

For self-employed people, the compensation is calculated at 1/12 of the monthly earned net income (average of the last year before the prohibited activity). The self-employed who are exposed to a threat to their livelihood as a result of a measure under the IfSG may receive reasonable compensation from the authorities for additional expenses incurred during periods of loss of earnings. Should the business have to close down, an appropriate amount of compensation will also be paid for the duration of the measure under IfSG for any uncovered business expenses which continue to be incurred during this period. 

Compensation is only available upon application, and very short application deadlines apply!

Applications must be submitted within three months of the halted activity or end of isolation (quarantine) with the appropriate authority.

In the following menu we have summarised the following information on the various loan and grant options: What are the requirements? How much is the loan? How does the repayment work? And who do I contact?

Social Loans from the Student Union

AStA, University Cologne

Loan amount

• Interest-free short-term loan of up to 300 € for one month.
• The loans are granted in the AStA advisory office in the Mensa, Zülpicher Str. 70, during BAföG consultation times.

Requirements

• Be an enrolled student at the University of Cologne.
• Further requirements have to be clarified with the AStA of the University of Cologne by phone or e-mail.

Contact and further information

Email to Sozialreferat@asta.uni-koeln.de or call Tel 0221 470 6251

Further information can be found at here

AStA, Cologne University of Technology

Loan amount

One-time interest-free loan in the amount of 250€.

Requirements

• Be an enrolled student of the TH Köln.
• Have a guarantor.

Payback

The repayment modalities will be agreed upon in an individual conversation.

Contact and further information

Further information from the social counselling service at TH Köln

Longer-term loans

In addition to the one-off bridging loans, you can also apply for a loan for a longer period of time. If you are in the final phase of your studies and haven’t been able to start a job, it might be worthwhile to take a look at the following options. In any case, you are welcome to ask our social counsellors or the respective contact person for the loan.

Daka Loans

Loan amount

• Monthly loan for a maximum of 1,000 euros.
• Flexible monthly instalments.
• The loan is completely interest-free, only an administration fee of five percent is charged

Requirements

• Be a registered student at a state university in NRW.
• Be dependent on financial aid.
• Have a guarantor.
• Note: Your age and number of semesters do not matter

Repayment of a loan:

• Repayment begins twelve months after disbursement of the last subsidy payment.
• If you are still studying, the repayment can be postponed for a further twelve months.
• The minimum instalment is 150 Euro per month, but this amount is flexible.

Processing period

The processing time takes at least two weeks.

Contact and further information

Mrs Kürten Tel 0221 - 94265 (- 132) and Mrs Yildiz (- 1479)

Website Daka Loan

KfW Student Loan

Loan amount

A monthly amount of up to 650 euros.

Requirement

• Enrolled as a student at a private or public German university (including doctoral studies).
• University entrance qualification obtained in Germany.
• Minimum term is six months.
• Available up to your 10th semester.
• Be 44 years old or younger.
• No guarantor required.

Repayment

• Repayment begins after approx. 18 to 24 months.
• During this “waiting period”, interest continues to accrue.
• A deferment is not possible.
• You can adjust the repayment rate every six months.
• The minimum repayment rate is 20 euros.

Processing period

If the entry has been processed by the 15th of the month, the first payment will be made in the following month.

Contact at the Werk

Mr Beckmann Tel 0221 - 94265 - 181 and Mr Calanni - 131

Education Loan

Loan amount

• Flexible loans between 100 - 300 euros.
• Single loan of max. 3600 euros possible.

Repayment

• Repayment does not start until four years after initial receipt of payment.
• The Education Loan offers a low interest rate.
• Simple online application via the Bundesverwaltungsamt (Federal Office of Administration).

Further information and contact

Website of the Bundesverwaltungsamt (Federal Office of Administration) or hotline Tel 0188 83 58 44 92 (office hours are Mon - Th 10:30 - 12:30 and 13:30 - 14:30 and Fri 10:30 - 12:00).

If you are unable to pay your health insurance, apartment rental, mobile phone contract company, radio licence fee etc., you should pro-actively contact them. Please ask for a deferral of your payments and, if necessary, for a block on late notices. If it is possible for you, you could ask for a reduced amount to pay.

It is best to contact our Social Counselling or Student Finance departments. We also have a loan fund, the Daka NRW.

Obtain different offers and compare them carefully. Pay attention to the requirements for a student loan from the respective providers, the processing fees, the interest rate and repayment conditions. It is important to look at the total repayment amount of the loan in different repayment calculations before signing the contract. In addition, you should inform yourself about possible additional costs that you might have to face. It is best to seek advice from our Social Counselling or Student Finance departments!