The BAföG housing allowance for 2027 matters to every student who does not live with their parents. The draft amendment raises the housing allowance (Wohnkostenpauschale) from 380 to 440 euros per month. This guide explains when the increase is planned, what applies today and why the date has already moved once.
Short answer: In the government draft of the 30th BAföG amendment, the housing allowance for students living away from home rises from 380 to 440 euros from the summer semester 2027. The draft has not been passed. Today 380 euros per month apply. Last updated: November 2026.
The most important points
- Today the housing allowance for students living away from home is 380 euros per month, in force since 1 August 2024.
- The draft raises it to 440 euros. The Bundestag’s report names the summer semester 2027 as the start.
- The original plan was the winter semester 2026/2027. According to press reports, that date is no longer the current plan.
- For students living with their parents, the draft goes the other way: the allowance drops to 41 euros and is later removed.
- For ongoing funding, higher rates usually take effect only in the next assessment period, according to the explanatory memorandum.
How high is the housing allowance today?
The housing allowance is a fixed part of the BAföG basic need rate. For students who do not live with their parents it is currently 380 euros per month. Together with the basic need of 475 euros, that makes 855 euros, before supplements for health and long-term care insurance are added in certain cases. The official rates are published in the rate tables of the Studierendenwerke (German student services organisation).
When is the increase planned?
According to the government draft, the allowance should apply from the summer semester 2027. In the German academic calendar used for BAföG, the summer semester begins on 1 April, so the planned date falls in spring 2027. The draft is not yet law. Only when the amendment is promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt) does it become binding, and the promulgated text decides from which assessment period it applies.
The Bundestag report of 8 October 2026 (in German) lists the increase to 440 euros for students living away from home. The explanatory memorandum in Drucksache 21/8405 (in German) describes the stages.
Housing allowance at a glance
The table compares today’s rules with the draft. The draft figures are not yet binding law.
| Living situation | Today (November 2026) | Draft |
|---|---|---|
| Living away from home | 380 euros per month | 440 euros from the summer semester 2027 |
| Living with parents | 59 euros per month | 41 euros, then removed completely |
What 60 euros more per month would mean
Assumption: you live away from home, and the allowance rises as proposed by 60 euros to 440 euros. Over twelve months that adds up to 720 euros, on paper. Your actual payment is the total of your assessed need, minus your income and assets, plus any supplements. The 720 euros is therefore only the difference in the housing allowance and not a forecast of what you will receive.
Why the increase was postponed
The increase was originally meant for the winter semester 2026/2027. At the end of April 2026 the coalition said the financing was settled. At the end of May 2026 Research Minister Dorothee Bär questioned quick implementation, and the SPD parliamentary group disagreed, as the media report of 31 May 2026 (secondary source, in German) describes.
The draft now sets the later date. The Bundesrat (the chamber representing the federal states) criticised the late start of the housing allowance in its opinion of 25 September 2026, and the federal government rejected most of the Bundesrat’s demands. For you this means the increase is politically intended but not legally decided.
What applies to students living with their parents?
The draft points the other way for this group. The allowance for students living with their parents would fall from 59 to 41 euros and then disappear. The Bundestag report gives no date for the second step. Students in this situation should therefore not expect an increase and should follow the legislative process. Our guide on the housing allowance when living at home covers this group in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Will I receive the 440 euros retroactively?
According to the explanatory memorandum, higher rates for ongoing funding usually take effect only in the next assessment period. Do not rely on retroactive payments. The promulgated text will show which transitional rule applies.
Does the higher allowance apply to a stay abroad?
The available sources do not clearly answer this, so nothing reliable can be said here. Contact the funding office that processes your application and ask about your specific case.
Do I need to submit a new application?
Whether a new application is needed depends on the promulgated version and its transitional rules. The draft provides that applications will in future be possible only digitally through BAföG Digital. Your funding office will tell you what applies to your approval.
Where is the binding amount written down?
The binding amount is in the promulgated law. The housing allowance is regulated in section 13 of the BAföG. Figures in guides, including this one, do not replace the legal text.
Reliable sources and how to check the status
Reliable information refers to the legal text or an official procedure. That includes the Drucksache of the Bundestag, the Bundestag’s own reports and, after promulgation, the Federal Law Gazette. Media reports and guides often summarise the status in shortened form, and the stage changes during deliberation.
A change applies only once the text is promulgated and the transitional rules are clear. Until then, your most recent notice from the funding office is the best reference. It shows which rates apply to you and until when your approval runs.
What to do now
- Plan with 380 euros housing allowance for students living away from home until a law is promulgated.
- Follow the draft in Drucksache 21/8405 and the Bundestag reports.
- After promulgation, check the legal text and the date from which the new rates apply.
- If you move, ask which allowance applies to you, because living with parents follows different rates.
Related reading
- BAföG Reform 2027: What Is Changing and When
- BAföG reform: does it apply to ongoing funding?
- BAföG while living at home 2027: how the housing allowance changes
- BAföG reform in the Bundestag: what is still open
- BAföG reform stalled? What the coalition dispute means
Sources: Drucksache 21/8405, 30th BAföG amendment act (status October 2026), Bundestag report hib 800/2026 (8 October 2026), BAföG rate tables, Studierendenwerke (valid since 1 August 2024).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
