In short
Under current law, the BAföG age limit is not 30 but 45. You receive funding if your stage of education begins before your 45th birthday. Exceptions, for example for the second-chance route to university or parents of young children, currently apply beyond that. Under the government draft, these exceptions would end on 1 April 2027. That has not been decided.
| Key fact | Value | Date and source |
|---|---|---|
| Age limit | no funding if you have turned 45 when the stage of education begins | Section 10(3) sentence 1 BAföG, read on 25 Oct 2026 |
| Maximum rate from age 30 | up to 1,088 € if you live away from home, up to 767 € if you live with your parents | Studierendenwerke, 2026, fact base 20 Oct 2026 |
| Asset allowance | 15,000 € up to age 29, 45,000 € from age 30 | Deutsches Studierendenwerk, BAföG FAQ January 2026 |
| Exceptions to the limit | six groups of cases (no. 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4), some only if you start without delay | Section 10(3) sentences 2 and 3 BAföG, 22 Oct 2026 |
| Reform (planned) | exceptions removed from 1 Apr 2027, transitional rule for people who turn 43 before 1 Jan 2028 | Draft Bundestag paper 21/8405, as of 25 Oct 2026, not adopted |
Is there an age limit for BAföG?
Yes, and it is 45 years, not 30. Under section 10(3) sentence 1 BAföG, no education funding is paid if you have turned 45 when the stage of education you are applying for begins. So your birthday counts against the start of the stage, not the date of your application.
Your 30th birthday still matters, because it changes the funding. If you have turned 30 when the stage of education begins, your parents’ income is not counted under section 11(3) no. 2 BAföG (see the guide Elternunabhängiges BAföG (in German)), and the supplement for health insurance can be higher.
| Age at start | Maximum rate away from home | Asset allowance | Parents’ income |
|---|---|---|---|
| up to 24 | 855 € | 15,000 € | is counted |
| 25 to 29 | 992 € | 15,000 € | is counted |
| 30 to 44 | up to 1,088 € | 45,000 € | generally not counted |
| from 45 | no funding, unless an exception applies |
The rates are made up of the basic need (475 €), the housing allowance (380 €) and the supplements for health and long-term care insurance: 475 + 380 + 185 + 48 = 1,088 €. Up to age 24 there is no supplement, because family insurance applies. All values are listed in the guide BAföG-Bedarfssatz (in German).
How does the deadline before your 45th birthday work?
What counts is the start of the stage of education for which you apply for funding. If you have not turned 45 by then, the age limit does not affect you, even if your studies last several more years. A master’s degree counts as a new stage of education, so the limit applies again.
Example with assumed data: You turn 45 on 3 March 2027.
- Studies start on 1 October 2026: You are 44 at the start, so the limit does not apply.
- Studies start on 1 April 2027: You are 45 at the start, so the limit applies. Funding is then only possible through one of the exceptions.
- Applying in the month your studies start secures your funding start, because funding is paid from the month of application at the earliest (section 15(1) BAföG).
Which date the office treats as the start of the stage of education, such as the start of the semester, is something to clarify with the BAföG office (Amt für Ausbildungsförderung) before you apply.
Which exceptions to the age limit are there?
Section 10(3) sentence 2 BAföG lists six cases in which the limit of 45 does not apply. Under sentence 3, four of them carry an extra condition: The education must begin without delay.
| Case | Core of the exception | Start without delay required |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | entry requirements gained through certain institutions, an external school-leaving exam or an entrance exam (second-chance route) | yes |
| No. 1a | enrolment at a university or academy without a university entrance qualification, based on vocational qualifications | no |
| No. 1b | further education under section 7(2) no. 2 or 3 BAföG | yes |
| No. 2 | turned 45 during a completed bachelor’s degree, then start an eligible master’s degree without delay | no |
| No. 3 | personal or family reasons prevented a timely start, in particular continuous care of a child under 14 while working up to 30 hours a week (single parents may work more to avoid basic income support) | yes |
| No. 4 | a drastic change in personal circumstances with financial need, and no eligible vocational qualification completed yet | yes |
The BAföG office examines each case individually. So collect evidence, such as certificates from the second-chance route, your children’s birth certificates, employment contracts and notices. How a second degree is treated is covered in the guide Zweitstudium: Kosten, BAföG, Kindergeld und Steuern (in German).
What does the 2027 BAföG reform change about the age limit?
Under the government draft of the 30th BAföG amendment act (Bundestag paper 21/8405), sentences 2 and 3 of section 10(3) would be deleted (Article 1 no. 7). The explanatory memorandum says that a uniform age limit of 45 would apply in future. The exceptions in the table above would therefore disappear. Under Article 9(1), the act is due to take effect on 1 April 2027.
The draft contains a transitional rule in section 66a(8): For people who turn 43 before 1 January 2028, sentences 2 and 3 continue to apply. The Bundestag debated the draft in a first reading on 15 October 2026. The second and third readings and the Bundesrat stage are still pending. Until the act is promulgated, current law applies. The guide BAföG-Reform 2027 (in German) tracks the status of all changes.
What applies if BAföG is ruled out?
Then other building blocks remain. The KfW-Studienkredit (in German) is open to students up to age 44, scholarships do not always have an age limit, and a side job can be combined with your studies. The guide Studium über 30 finanzieren (in German) gives an overview of all routes, Studieren mit 45 (in German) describes the situation from age 45, and Studienkredite im Vergleich (in German) compares the loans.
Independently of BAföG, student health insurance ends with the semester in which you turn 30, unless the type of education or personal reasons justify going beyond that. The consequences for your contribution and insurance route are explained in Krankenversicherung als Student über 30 (in German).
What to do next
- Work out how old you are when the stage of education begins, and put your birthday and your start date side by side.
- If you are 45 or older, check whether one of the exceptions in section 10(3) sentence 2 fits, and gather the evidence.
- Apply in the month your studies start, because funding begins in the month of application at the earliest. The route through BAföG Digital is described in BAföG beantragen (in German).
- If you start in April 2027 or later, follow the legislative process, because the exceptions are due to be removed under the draft.
- Plan your health insurance at the same time if your studies will run past age 30.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a BAföG age limit of 30?
No. The age limit is 45: You only receive funding if the stage of education begins before your 45th birthday. Something else changes at 30: The maximum rate rises, the asset allowance is higher, and your parents’ income is generally no longer counted.
Am I excluded from BAföG at 46?
Not in every case. Sentence 2 of section 10(3) BAföG lists exceptions, for example for the second-chance route, for parents of a child under 14, or after a drastic change in circumstances. The BAföG office decides in each individual case whether an exception fits.
What does “without delay” mean for the exceptions?
For exceptions no. 1, 1b, 3 and 4, the education must begin without delay after you gain the entry requirements, after the obstacle ends, or after the financial need arises. Without delay means without culpable hesitation. You should keep evidence of the timing.
Does the master’s exception after a bachelor’s degree disappear?
Under the government draft of the 30th BAföG amendment act, sentences 2 and 3 are due to be deleted from 1 April 2027, and with them this exception. The draft provides a transitional rule for people who turn 43 before 1 January 2028. That has not been decided.
What is the maximum BAföG from age 30?
Under current law, up to 1,088 € a month if you have your own home and up to 767 € if you live with your parents, in each case including the supplements for health and long-term care insurance. How much you actually receive depends on your income and assets.
Related guides
- Studium über 30 finanzieren: BAföG, Stipendium, Kredit und Nebenjob (in German)
- Krankenversicherung im Studium ab 30: Stichtage, Zahlen und Wege (in German)
- BAföG-Reform 2027: Was sich ändert und ab wann (in German)
- Elternunabhängiges BAföG: Voraussetzungen und Antrag (in German)
Sources and review
- Statute text section 10 BAföG (age limit), gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Statute texts section 11(3) (parents’ income), sections 13 and 13a BAföG (need and supplements), gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Statute text section 15 BAföG (start of funding), gesetze-im-internet.de, accessed 22 Oct 2026
- Federal BAföG portal, page “Wer wird gefördert” (who is funded), page dated July 2024, bafög.de, accessed 22 Oct 2026
- Government draft, 30th BAföG amendment act, Bundestag paper 21/8405 of 7 Oct 2026 (Art. 1 no. 7, no. 35 letter e, Art. 9), dserver.bundestag.de, accessed 25 Oct 2026, first reading on 15 Oct 2026 according to bundestag.de
- Deutsches Studierendenwerk, rates up to 2026 and BAföG FAQ January 2026, studierendenwerke.de, accessed 20 Oct 2026
Editorial team: Academycon
Last updated: 25 October 2026
If you want to see how to insure and fund your studies after 30, start with the Academycon online check.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative. All statements on the reform are planned and not adopted.
