Short answer: The BAföG maximum rate (Höchstsatz) for students up to age 24 who do not live with their parents is 855 euros a month. It is made up of a basic allowance of 475 euros and a housing flat rate of 380 euros. Last updated: October 2026. These rates have applied since 1 August 2024. Most students receive less, because income and assets are taken into account.
The BAföG maximum rate is the monthly upper limit of the need that the state training assistance office (Amt für Ausbildungsförderung) recognises. Whether you actually receive it depends on your age, your living situation, your own income and your assets. This guide explains the components, shows the maximum amounts in a table and works through an example.
The most important points
- The maximum rate is an upper limit. The office decides how much you receive, based on your income and assets.
- The basic allowance (Grundbedarf) for students at universities is 475 euros a month (section 13 para. 1 no. 2 BAföG).
- The housing flat rate is 380 euros if you do not live with your parents and 59 euros if you do (section 13 para. 2 BAföG).
- From age 25, supplements for health and long-term care insurance are added if you pay your own contributions. From age 30 they are higher.
- Half of the funding is paid as an interest-free loan and half as a grant.
Which components make up the maximum rate?
The need under BAföG consists of a basic allowance and a housing flat rate. The basic allowance is a lump sum for living costs. The housing flat rate depends on whether you live with your parents. Depending on your age, supplements for your own health and long-term care insurance are added on top.
- Basic allowance: 475 euros a month (section 13 para. 1 no. 2 BAföG).
- Housing flat rate if you live away from home: 380 euros a month (section 13 para. 2 no. 2 BAföG).
- Housing flat rate if you live with your parents: 59 euros a month (section 13 para. 2 no. 1 BAföG).
- Health and long-term care supplement: up to 102 and 35 euros for ages 25 to 29, up to 185 and 48 euros from age 30 (Studierendenwerke, BAföG rates (as of 1 August 2024)).
Under section 13 para. 3a BAföG, you also count as living with your parents if the room you occupy belongs to your parents. The distinction is therefore not only a question of your rental contract.
What are the maximum rates by age and living situation?
The table shows the monthly maximum amounts. The row for “up to 24, with parents” is a calculation from the basic allowance and the housing flat rate (475 plus 59 euros). The other values come from the Studierendenwerke overview and are built from the same components.
| Situation | Maximum rate per month | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 24, not living with parents | 855 euros | 475 + 380 |
| Up to 24, living with parents | 534 euros | 475 + 59 |
| Ages 25 to 29, not living with parents | 992 euros | 855 + 137 |
| Ages 25 to 29, living with parents | 671 euros | 534 + 137 |
| From 30, not living with parents (upper limit) | 1,088 euros | 855 + 233 |
| From 30, living with parents (upper limit) | 767 euros | 534 + 233 |
Last updated: October 2026. The rates have applied since 1 August 2024. The health and long-term care supplements are upper limits and depend on the contributions you actually pay.
How do you get from the maximum rate to the actual funding?
The office does not simply take the maximum rate. It follows a fixed sequence set out in the law.
- It determines your need from the basic allowance, the housing flat rate and, where applicable, the supplements.
- It counts your own income above the allowances. For assets, the allowance is 15,000 euros for trainees under 30 and 45,000 euros from age 30 (section 29 para. 1 BAföG).
- If you are not independent of your parents, the parents’ income is also counted, above the parental allowance.
- The remaining amount is the funding. Half is paid as a grant and half as a loan (bafög.de, guide on loan repayment (German)).
The guide BAföG calculator with examples (in German) works through income scenarios in detail.
Worked example: what does this come to per year?
Assumption: you are 23, you do not live with your parents, and neither your own income nor any assets are counted. Then the funding equals the maximum rate of 855 euros a month. Assumption: funding is paid over twelve months.
| Item | per month | per year (12 months) |
|---|---|---|
| Total funding | 855.00 euros | 10,260.00 euros |
| Grant (50 percent) | 427.50 euros | 5,130.00 euros |
| Loan (50 percent) | 427.50 euros | 5,130.00 euros |
This example shows only the upper case. Parental income or your own income reduces the amount. For loans with first funding from 1 September 2019, repayment is capped at 10,010 euros (repayment ceiling). Full loans under section 17 para. 3 BAföG are excluded from this cap (as stated in the bafög.de guide, last updated January 2026).
What changes with the BAföG reform in 2027?
In August 2026 the federal cabinet adopted a draft bill, which is now being debated in the Bundestag. The draft is not law. Among other things, it proposes raising the housing flat rate for students living away from home from 380 to 440 euros from the summer semester 2027, and increasing the basic allowance to 503 euros from the winter semester 2027/28 (Bundestag printed paper 21/8405, as of October 2026). It is not yet clear whether and in what form the law will pass. Our guide BAföG reform 2027 (in German) summarises the details.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always receive the maximum rate?
No. The maximum rate is an upper limit. The office calculates your funding from your need, minus the income and assets that count. That is why many students receive less than the maximum.
Why are there different rates for living with parents?
Section 13 para. 2 BAföG distinguishes between living with your parents, with a flat rate of 59 euros, and living away from home, with a flat rate of 380 euros. What matters is your living situation, not the amount of rent. The guide housing flat rate in BAföG (in German) explains how this works in practice.
Is there a supplement if I have a child?
Yes. Students with a child under 14 can receive a childcare supplement. According to the Studierendenwerke, it is 160 euros a month per child (as of August 2022). The guide BAföG with a child (in German) explains the requirements.
Where do I find my exact amount?
Your exact amount is stated in the approval notice from the responsible training assistance office. Calculators can give an estimate but are not a notice. If the notice and your own calculation do not match, ask the office how it calculated the amount.
What to do now
- Check your current notice and assign each line to the basic allowance, the housing flat rate or a supplement.
- Compare your age and living situation with the table above. The housing flat rate and supplements change the maximum rate significantly.
- Work out your own income and, where relevant, your parents’ income against the allowances before you report any changes.
- If something remains unclear, contact the responsible training assistance office or the advice service of the Studierendenwerk at your university.
Related guides
- BAföG rates 2026/27: figures, allowances and limits
- BAföG 2026: eligibility, amount and repayment explained
- Student support rate (BAföG) 2026: amounts and example
- BAföG repayment: start, instalments, exemption and partial write-off
Sources: Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG), section 13 (gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved October 2026); Studierendenwerke, BAföG rates (as of 1 August 2024); Studierendenwerke, BAföG FAQ (as of January 2026); bafög.de, loan repayment guide; Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG), section 29 (gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved October 2026).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
