Help in case of emergencies

In cases of financial need, students can apply for €350.00 bridge loans at short notice. This requires a consultation at the social counseling office, where – among other things – the degree of financial need will be determined. Please be sure to bring valid ID and your current certificate of study (Studienbescheinigung). A guarantor is not required.

It is possible to pay 70 percent of uncovered healthcare expenditures per application for low-income students using funds from the Healthcare Assistance Fund (Gesundheitsförderungsfond). The maximum amount is €750.00 per calendar year, up to six months after the invoice is issued.

Requirements:

• Are you enrolled in a university in Cologne (or the surrounding area)? Are you paying a social contribution to the Kölner Studierendenwerk each semester?
• Is your income no more than 20 percent higher than the threshold for receiving assistance under Germany's Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG)?
• Do you have any healthcare costs that are not being covered by the statutory health insurance scheme, and are unable to draw on other sources of funds (insurances, social insurance benefits, parents)?
• Do you have to pay the costs of medical therapies, medical aids or dental prostheses? (but not of spa treatments, protective immunizations, death-related costs, costs for eyeglass frames)​​​

You will find a list of the forms and documents required to submit an application in this document.

Before submitting your application, please contact the social counseling office to arrange a consultation so that we can help you with the details.

In the event that an unforeseeable emergency for which the student is not responsible should have a lasting detrimental impact on the course of their studies, they may apply for an interest-free loan from the Kölner Studierendenwerk. A guarantor is required. Other possibilities for financing university studies such as BAföG, KfW student loans, Federal Education Loans (Bildungskredit des Bundes), Daka loans and (if applicable) loans for completing studies (Studienabschlussdarlehen) must already have been exhausted. We will offer you a personal consultation to determine whether the requirements for receiving a loan have been satisfied.

The university's AStA can support students who are experiencing a financial emergency with a short-term interest-free loan of up to €300 for one month. These loans are issued in the AStA advisory office in the Mensa (cafeteria) at Zülpicher Str. 70 during the hours when BAföG consultations are offered. AStA’s social welfare office can be reached by email at Sozialreferat@asta.uni-koeln.de or by phone at +49 (0) 221 / 470 6251.

Go to the → AStA services

Students who find themselves in debt and unable to cope with their financial situation should contact a debt counseling office as soon as possible. A list of recognized debt counseling services and other information on the options available can be obtained from the social counseling office.

• These vouchers for food in the university cafeteria (Mensa) help students to deal with financial emergencies.
• These financial emergencies may include delayed wage/salary payments or unusual fluctuations in income for low-income students.
• To be issued as part of a consultation at the social counseling office.