In short
The BAföG reform 2027 is a government bill (parliamentary printed paper 21/8405), not yet a law. Planned are a higher housing allowance of €440 from 1 April 2027, a basic need of €503 from the winter semester 2027/28 and a declining allowance for students living with their parents. Until promulgation, the current rates apply.
| Key fact | Value (planned) | Status and source |
|---|---|---|
| Housing allowance, not living with parents | €440 instead of €380 from 1 April 2027 | Government bill, Art. 1, printed paper 21/8405, status 20 October 2026 |
| Basic need for students | €503 from winter semester 2027/28, €563 from summer semester 2029 (currently €475) | Government bill, Art. 2 and 3, status 20 October 2026 |
| Housing allowance living with parents | €41 instead of €59, then discontinued | Government bill, Art. 2 and 3, status 20 October 2026 |
| Procedural status | First reading on 15 October 2026, committee leads, conclusion outstanding | bundestag.de, status 20 October 2026 |
We will update this article after the Bundestag and Bundesrat have acted.
What is the current status of the BAföG reform 2027?
The bill is in the Bundestag, and nothing has been adopted yet. The federal cabinet approved it on 12 August 2026, the Bundesrat gave its opinion on 25 September 2026 (1068th session), and printed paper 21/8405 is dated 7 October 2026. The first reading in the Bundestag took place on 15 October 2026, with the Committee on Research, Technology, Space and Technology Assessment in the lead.
The second and third readings and the Bundesrat’s consideration are still pending. Among other things, the Bundesrat criticises that the higher housing allowance only takes effect in the summer semester 2027, and it rejects the reduction for students living with their parents. In its counter-statement, the federal government rejects most of these demands (Bundestag, text archive). Whether and in what form the bill will be adopted is therefore still open.
What is set to change for the housing allowance and the basic need?
The bill raises the rates in three stages. The first concerns only the housing allowance; the second and third concern the basic need. All values are planned until the law is promulgated.
| Item | Today | From 1 April 2027 (Art. 1) | From 1 August 2027 (Art. 2) | From 1 April 2029 (Art. 3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic need | €475 | €475 | €503 | €563 |
| Housing allowance, living away from home | €380 | €440 | €440 | €440 |
| Housing allowance, living with parents | €59 | €59 | €41 | discontinued |
According to the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, the €563 corresponds to the current basic income support level (BMFTR, cabinet decision of 12 August 2026). For allowances, the bill provides for an annual increase of 1.5 percent from 1 August 2028 (section 35a), not for 2027. Applications are to run only via BAföG Digital, and the performance record after the fourth semester (section 48) is to be dropped.
What would this mean for the maximum rate?
The rate without supplements rises for students living away from home from €855 today to €915 and later to €943. For students living with their parents, it rises from €534 to €544 and then to €563. The example shows the path for a student living away from home who is under 25 and receives the maximum rate:
- Today: €475 basic need plus €380 housing allowance equals €855 a month.
- From 1 April 2027 (planned): €475 plus €440 equals €915, which is €60 more than today.
- From winter semester 2027/28 (planned): €503 plus €440 equals €943, which is €88 more than today.
- Over a twelve-month funding period, that is €88 × 12 = €1,056 more, if the maximum rate is approved.
- Living with parents: €475 plus €59 equals €534 today; €503 plus €41 equals €544 from 1 August 2027 (planned); and €563 from 1 April 2029 (planned). That is €10 and €29 more than today, respectively.
The actual amount is determined by your parents’ income, your own income and your assets. For ongoing funding, higher rates under the bill generally only take effect in the next funding period.
What changes for the health and long-term care insurance supplement?
The supplements also rise in stages. Students who are not covered by family insurance receive a supplement to their contributions today, and the bill adjusts it to the higher contributions. The stages in overview, according to the bill:
| Supplement per month | Today | Art. 1 | Art. 2 | Art. 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health insurance, ages 25 to 29 | €102 | €121 | €124 | €132 |
| Long-term care insurance, ages 25 to 29 | €35 | €39 | €40 | €43 |
| Health insurance, from age 30 (maximum) | €185 | €223 | ||
| Long-term care insurance, from age 30 (maximum) | €48 | €56 |
The stages for the age group from 30 are only given in the bill for Art. 1. How you classify the supplements today is explained in BAföG supplement for health insurance: What applies to PKV and GKV (in German). The situation for older students is covered in Studying at 30 (in German).
What does the reform mean for student health insurance?
The contributions of student health insurance depend on BAföG. The assessment basis is one thirtieth of the BAföG requirement for students who do not live with their parents (section 236 SGB V), currently €855 a month. A change takes effect only from the semester following the change, which is probably 1 October 2027. Until then, the basis remains at €855.
The following scenario consists only of draft values and assumes three premises: The reform as in the bill, an additional contribution of 2.9 percent, and the care reorganisation act with the childless surcharge of 0.7 points.
- Assessment basis: €503 plus €440 equals €943.
- Health insurance: €943 × 10.22 percent = €96.37, plus the additional contribution of €943 × 2.9 percent = €27.35.
- Long-term care insurance for childless persons from age 23: €943 × 4.3 percent = €40.55.
- Total: €164.27 a month, compared with €148.09 today at an assessment basis of €855. Without the planned increase of the childless surcharge (4.2 percent), it would be €163.33.
The scenario is based on three drafts, none of which has been adopted. You can test different values with the health insurance contribution calculator. What to do about the additional contribution at the turn of the year is described in Additional contribution 2027: What students can do at the turn of the year (in German).
What changes for the age limit?
The age limit of 45 remains. The bill deletes the exceptions in section 10(3) sentences 2 and 3 BAföG, which so far allow funding beyond the limit in individual cases. For trainees who turn 43 before 1 January 2028, the transitional rule in section 66a(8) is to keep the current law in force. If you plan a course of study beyond 40, the current position is described in Studying at 30 (in German).
What you can do now
The reform does not change the fact that you apply under the law in force today. These steps are worthwhile whatever the outcome of the procedure:
- Submit your BAföG application or follow-up application on time, and not only after the reform. Funding is generally only paid from the month of application (section 15 BAföG).
- Plan with today’s rates: €475 basic need, €380 housing allowance, €59 when living with parents. Treat the planned values only as leeway.
- Check when your funding period ends. According to the bill, higher rates generally only apply in the next funding period, so a follow-up application within the current period takes effect later.
- Do not rely on the performance record being dropped. Until promulgation, the record after the fourth semester applies (section 48 BAföG).
- Budget for health insurance: Until 30 September 2027 the assessment basis stays at €855; from winter semester 2027/28 it would rise to €943 under the bill.
- Note the next dates in the procedure (second and third reading, Bundesrat). We will update this article after the Bundestag and Bundesrat have acted.
Frequently asked questions
When is the BAföG reform 2027 coming?
A staged start is planned. The higher housing allowance is to apply from 1 April 2027, and the higher basic need from 1 August 2027. It is a government bill, and the Bundestag debated it in first reading on 15 October 2026. Until promulgation, the current rates apply.
How high is the housing allowance after the BAföG reform?
For students not living with their parents, the bill provides for €440 instead of €380 a month, planned from 1 April 2027. This has not yet been adopted.
Does the basic need rise in 2027?
The bill names €503 from winter semester 2027/28 and €563 from summer semester 2029. Today it is €475. Both figures are planned and not adopted.
What changes for students living with their parents?
The housing allowance for students living with their parents is to fall from €59 to €41 and later be dropped altogether. The basic need rises at the same time, so the total rate still grows slightly.
Do I have to apply because of the reform?
Submit your application or follow-up application on time, and do not wait for the reform. According to the bill, higher rates for ongoing funding generally only apply in the next funding period.
Does the reform change my health insurance as a student?
Indirectly, yes. The assessment basis for student health insurance follows the BAföG requirement and, under the bill, would probably rise from €855 to €943 from winter semester 2027/28.
Related articles
- BAföG 2026: Entitlement, amount and repayment explained (in German)
- Applying for BAföG: Application, deadlines and documents (in German)
- BAföG supplement for health insurance: What applies to PKV and GKV (in German)
- Student health insurance 2026 in figures: Limits, contributions and deadlines (in German)
- Studying at 30: Opportunities, financing and everyday life (in German)
- Glossary: Health insurance during studies (in German)
Sources and verification
- Government bill, 30th amendment to the BAföG Act (30. BAföGÄndG), Bundestag printed paper 21/8405 of 7 October 2026, dserver.bundestag.de, retrieved 20 October 2026.
- German Bundestag, text archive on the first reading on 15 October 2026, bundestag.de, and short news item hib 800/2026 of 8 October 2026, bundestag.de.
- Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, cabinet decision of 12 August 2026, bmftr.bund.de.
- Section 236 SGB V (contribution assessment for students), gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 October 2026.
- Rates in force: German Student Services Organisation (Deutsches Studierendenwerk), BAföG rates up to 2026 and BAföG FAQ, January 2026, studierendenwerke.de.
- Contribution rates 2026: GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on calculation variables, status 1 January 2026, gkv-spitzenverband.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
Editorial team: Academycon
Status: 20 October 2026
If you want to see what the planned changes mean for your insurance cover, the next step is the online check from Academycon.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide does not replace individual advice. All figures on the reform are planned and not adopted.
