If you receive BAföG and insure yourself, you get an additional fixed amount: €102 a month for health insurance and €35 for long-term care insurance, €137 in total. This BAföG health insurance supplement applies to students up to 30 and depends on having your own insurance, whether statutory or private. From 30, it is €185 and €48. If you are insured as a family member through your parents, you get no supplement.
Key points at a glance
- Up to age 30, the supplement is €102 for health insurance and €35 for long-term care insurance per month. From 30, it is €185 and €48.
- The amounts are fixed. Your actual contribution does not change them.
- With family insurance there is no supplement. The maximum rate is then €855 instead of €992 (own flat).
- Planned, but not yet decided: from 1 April 2027, the amounts would be €121 and €39.
How high is the BAföG health insurance supplement?
Students up to 30 receive €102 for health insurance and €35 for long-term care insurance, each per month. From 30, the amounts are €185 and €48.
| Situation | Health insurance supplement | Long-term care supplement | Maximum rate with own flat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 30, own insurance | €102 | €35 | €992 |
| From 30, own insurance | €185 | €48 | €1,088 |
| Family insured | no supplement | no supplement | €855 |
The supplement is part of your need. The maximum rate of €992 is made up as follows: €475 basic need, €380 housing allowance, and the €102 and €35 supplement. What you actually receive depends, as with the rest of BAföG, on your parents’ income and your assets. An overview of rates, eligibility and repayment is in the article on BAföG 2026 (in German).
The supplement follows the general split as well: half is paid as a grant and half as an interest-free state loan. According to the Studierendenwerke, you must repay at most €10,010 in total.
Does the supplement apply to PKV and GKV?
Yes. The supplement depends on you being insured yourself and bearing the contributions yourself. Whether you are in the statutory student health insurance (KVdS) or have private health insurance makes no difference to the amount. You do not need to take out a PKV to get it.
The differences lie in the contribution. In the KVdS, you pay a nationwide basic contribution of €87.38 for health insurance, plus your fund’s additional contribution and long-term care insurance. In the PKV, the contribution depends on the tariff, your age at entry and your health. The supplement stays the same in both cases.
Does the supplement cover your contributions?
In the KVdS, the supplement almost covers the contribution. With PKV, it depends on the tariff. Here are three examples with clear assumptions.
Example 1: Lea, 24, no children, KVdS, a fund with the average additional contribution of 2.9%. The contribution basis is €855. Health insurance costs €87.38 plus €24.80 additional contribution, and long-term care insurance €35.91. Together that is around €148 a month. The supplement of €137 leaves her with an own share of about €11.
Example 2: Jonas, 22, KVdS, same additional contribution. Under 23, long-term care insurance is €30.78, so the total is around €143. After deducting the €137, about €6 remains.
Example 3: Mia, 24, privately insured. Assume her tariff costs €190 a month (a freely chosen assumption, not a tariff figure). Then the supplement covers €137, and she pays €53 herself.
The Techniker Krankenkasse contribution overview lists the KVdS contributions by age and number of children. The average additional contribution of 2.9% is set by the Federal Ministry of Health. How the supplement fits into the overall budget is shown in the article on the costs of studying (in German).
What applies to family insurance?
If you are family insured, you pay no contribution of your own and therefore receive no supplement. The maximum rate is then €855 with your own flat, and €534 if you live with your parents. With your own insurance, it would be €992 and €671.
You remain family insured until 25, as long as your total income stays below €565 a month (€603 if you only have a mini-job). BAföG, child benefit and maintenance do not count as income for this. If family insurance ends, for example on your 25th birthday, you pay your own contribution, and the supplement is added.
How do you apply for the supplement, and what must you prove?
The supplement is part of your normal BAföG application. You submit it online via BAföG Digital, and it is processed by the BAföG office at the Studierendenwerk. In the application, you state how you are insured and prove it, for example with a certificate from your fund or insurer. Which documents your office requires in your case is stated in the application.
All steps from the application to the deadlines are in the article on applying for BAföG (in German). If you start your studies at 30 or later, BAföG is generally paid regardless of your parents’ income. The requirements are described in the article on independent BAföG (in German).
What does the BAföG reform change?
The government draft of the BAföG reform provides for higher supplements in three stages. The Bundestag and the Bundesrat have not yet reached a final decision, so the figures are planned.
| From | Health insurance supplement | Long-term care supplement | Maximum rate with own flat (notional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2027 | €121 | €39 | €1,075 |
| 1 August 2027 | €124 | €40 | €1,107 |
| 1 April 2029 | €132 | €43 | €1,178 |
For self-payers from 30, €223 and €56 are planned from 1 April 2027. Until the change is passed, the current €102 and €35 apply.
What does the decision mean for PKV?
As a student, you can be exempted from compulsory insurance within three months of starting your studies and switch to PKV. The exemption generally takes effect retroactively to the start of compulsory insurance. It applies for the whole course of study, however, and it is irrevocable if you study without interruption. Returning to statutory insurance is only possible through a narrow set of routes, such as employment subject to social insurance.
During the exemption, there is no family insurance. Also check how your contribution may develop over the years, as PKV contributions can rise. For BAföG, the same supplement applies in both cases. The difference lies in your contribution.
Frequently asked questions
As a GKV member, do I also get a health insurance supplement?
Yes, if you are insured yourself. Within the statutory student insurance too, there is the supplement of €102 plus €35 with BAföG. Only those who are family insured and pay no contribution of their own do not receive it.
What happens to the supplement when I turn 30?
From 30, the supplement rises to €185 for health insurance and €48 for long-term care insurance. Student health insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30. After that, you need another solution.
Is there a higher supplement abroad?
With BAföG abroad, there is a separate supplement for the additional costs of foreign health insurance. Its amount is stated by the office responsible for you in the country concerned. More on insurance abroad is in the article on health insurance during study abroad (in German).
Do I have to repay the supplement?
In part, yes. Like the rest of BAföG, the supplement is split into a grant and an interest-free state loan. In total, you must repay at most €10,010. The repayment is €130 a month and begins five years after the end of the maximum funding period.
Here is what to do now
- Check whether you are self-insured (KVdS or PKV) or family insured.
- Submit your BAföG application via BAföG Digital and state your insurance.
- Compare your actual contribution with the €137 supplement to see how much it covers.
- Keep an eye on the reform, because from 1 April 2027 the supplements are to rise.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the route to advice on the Academycon homepage.
You can find reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was mentioned, among other places, in a press release on the Frankfurter Rundschau portal. An overview of all mentions is on the press page.
Related articles
- Family insurance or PKV during your studies: which is better for you? (in German)
- BAföG application: deadlines and documents (in German)
- Independent BAföG: requirements and application (in German)
- Health insurance during study abroad: long stays (in German)
- BAföG needs rate: glossary (in German)
- Parental allowance under BAföG: glossary (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
