Notes on financing and funding

BAföG for students with children

According to §14b BAföG, students who look after their own children under the age of 10 in their own household are entitled to a monthly full grant. This does not have to be paid back later. If a student is unable to study due to pregnancy and is on sick leave, she can continue to receive BAföG for a maximum of 3 months. If the proof of performance is delayed due to pregnancy and leave of absence, an application must be made in this regard. If studies are extended beyond the maximum duration of support (standard period of study) due to pregnancy and/or raising children up to 10 years, a further support can be granted as a full grant, which also does not have to be repaid.
Since the regulations are very complicated, expert advice is strongly recommended. Your contact persons are the Service Office for Student Financing and the Social Counselling Office of the student services organisation ("Studierendenwerk"). Further information on BAföG  and application forms are available at all counselling centres.

Parental allowance

Parental allowance ("Elterngeld") for students is usually granted for 12 months of the child's life. It is also possible to receive half of this amount for twice as long (stretching option). During this time, the study does not have to be interrupted, as the entitlement to parental allowance is independent of the scope of the study achievements (§1, section 6 BEEG, Guidelines to the BEEG). If student parents take a semester off during this time, they are entitled to jobseeker's allowance II ("Arbeitslosengeld II") (§7, section 5 SGB II). Please note: If the entitlement to parental allowance does not result from gainful employment, it will be credited towards living expenses (§10, section 5 BEEG).  To ensure that no money is lost, it is advisable to seek advice from the relevant parental allowance office ("Elterngeldstelle").

Child allowance and supplementary child allowance

Entitlement to child allowance ("Kindergeld") starts at the birth of the child. This must be applied for in writing to the family fund of the agency for employment ("Familienkasse der Arbeitsagentur"). Up to the age of 25, parents are also entitled to their own child benefit, provided they are still in education. Under certain conditions, students can also receive supplementary child allowance ("Kinderzuschlag") for their children in addition to child benefit (§6a BKGG).

Maternity allowance

Maternity allowance ("Mutterschaftsgeld") is paid by the health insurance companies for the duration of the protection periods (6 weeks before to 8 weeks after delivery, 12 weeks after delivery in the case of premature and multiple births) is only paid to female students if they are in an employment relationship and are covered by statutory health insurance with entitlement to sickness benefit.
If the student is employed and has family or private insurance, she can apply for maternity benefit at the Federal Insurance Office ("Bundesversicherungsamt").

Social benefits according to social code II ("SGB II")

Usually students are not entitled to benefits according to social code II ("SGB II"). 

But:
(1) Minor children have their own claim to benefits. Thus, if a parent has no entitlement himself or herself on the basis of his or her full-time studies, he or she can still assert a claim for his or her child  (cf. §27, pragapraph 2 SGB II / §24, parapraph 3 no. 2 SGB II / §21 SGB II). For example, one-off allowances for clothing and initial equipment for pregnancy and childbirth can be applied for (§24, paragraph 3 no. 2 SGB II).

(2) Part-time students who are generally not entitled to BAFöG and who study less than 20 hours per week are entitled to jobseeker's allowance II (§7, paragraph 5 SGB II)

(3) Students on leave of absence are entitled to Unemployment Benefit II if no academic achievements are actually being made (i.e. no courses attended, no examinations taken) and the leave of absence has been applied for, e.g. for reasons of maternity leave or childcare (BSG Terminbericht Nr. 17/12 Punkt 5).

Specialist advice is recommended. Your contact persons are the Jobcenter Erfurt and the Social Counselling Office of the student services organisation ("Studierendenwerk Thüringen").

Maintenance advance

If a child lives in a household with a single parent and receives little or no maintenance from the other parent, the child is entitled to an advance on maintenance payments ("Unterhaltsvorschuss") from the child protective services ("Jugendamt"). However, children from the age of 12 are only entitled to UV if they do not receive benefits under Social Code Book II or if the parent looking after them has an earned income of more than 600 euros gross.

Accommodation allowance

Usually students do not receive accommodation allowance ("Wohngeld"), since they are excluded from the accommodation allowance according to §20 paragraph 2 WoGG by the entitlement to BAföG. If this status does not apply to only one person in the household, the entire household is not covered by the exclusion regulation. Therefore, students who (basically) receive BAföG and have a child, and students who (basically) do not receive BAföG can apply for housing assistance. Single-parent students with a child for whom social allowance ("Sozialgeld") are paid can apply for housing benefit for themselves.

Your contacts for all questions concerning housing benefit are the Housing Benefit Office ("Wohngeldstelle") and the
Social counselling office of the student services organization. Social counselling office of the student services organisation. ("Studierendenwerk Thüringen").