Most people finance studying over 30 from several sources: BAföG of up to €1,088 per month if the course starts before your 45th birthday, plus a part-time job, a scholarship and, if needed, a loan. From age 30, your parents’ income generally no longer counts, and the asset allowance rises to €45,000. Health insurance is the costly part, because student health insurance ends with the semester in which you turn 30. The overview Studying over 30 (in German) covers opportunities, everyday life and choice of course.
Key points in brief
- BAföG is available if the course starts before your 45th birthday. From age 30, the maximum rate is €1,088 with your own flat. Half of it is an interest-free loan, and you repay at most €10,010.
- The Aufstiegsstipendium (advancement scholarship) has no age limit and pays €1,072 per month for full-time study. You need a vocational qualification, work experience and an outstanding professional achievement.
- The KfW student loan is open up to age 44, the Bildungskredit only before your 36th birthday. Both supplement your funding and do not cover a whole degree.
- You can earn up to €603 gross per month alongside your studies without your BAföG being reduced.
- From age 30, you pay for health insurance yourself. BAföG covers €233 per month towards it.
Which building blocks exist, and who can use them?
No single building block covers the whole degree. The table shows what is open at which age.
| Building block | Access or age limit | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BAföG | Course starts before your 45th birthday | Up to €1,088 per month (maximum rate with own flat) |
| Aufstiegsstipendium | No age limit, vocational training plus work experience | €1,072 per month full-time, €3,045 per calendar year part-time |
| Deutschlandstipendium | Selection by the university | €300 per month |
| KfW student loan | Ages 18 to 44 | €100 to €650 per month |
| Bildungskredit | Before your 36th birthday | €100, €200 or €300 per month |
| Part-time job | Depends on contract and hours | Up to €603 gross per month without effects on BAföG |
How much BAföG is there from age 30?
The maximum rate from age 30 is €1,088 per month with your own flat and €767 if you live with your parents. It is made up of €475 basic needs, €380 housing allowance and the health and long-term care insurance supplements of €185 and €48, if you insure yourself.
If your course starts between your 30th and 45th birthdays, funding is generally independent of parental income, with no further proof required. Your parents’ and spouse’s income then does not count, and neither does your parents’ wealth. Your own assets may not exceed €45,000, and up to age 29 the limit is €15,000. Whether you must already have turned 30 at the start of the course is for the BAföG office to decide case by case. You apply online via BAföG Digital.
Half of the amount is a grant, and the other half is an interest-free state loan. You repay at most €10,010, which is 77 instalments of €130. Repayment starts five years after the end of the maximum funding period, which corresponds to the standard period of study. If your later income is below €1,690 per month, you can apply to be released from repayment.
Is there BAföG independent of parental income before age 30?
Yes, in three typical cases. You have worked for five years after your 18th birthday and financed yourself during that time, where full-time, part-time and self-employment count, but training periods and holiday jobs do not. Or you completed a three-year vocational training and then worked for three years. Or you obtained your university entrance qualification at an evening school or college. The details are in the guide on BAföG independent of parental income (in German).
What applies to the age limit of 45?
There is no funding if you have already completed your 45th year of life when the training section begins (§ 10 para. 3 BAföG). Exceptions currently apply, for example for enrolment via a vocational qualification without the Abitur, via the second educational pathway, or if you raised a child under 14 up to the age limit and worked no more than 30 hours per week. Anyone who reaches the limit during a bachelor’s degree can start the master’s degree without delay. The guide Studying with a child (in German) offers more information on children.
The plan is to remove these exceptions from 1 April 2027. This is a government draft, and the Bundestag and Bundesrat have not yet decided on it. If you are close to the limit, submit your application early.
Which scholarships exist for students over 30?
The Aufstiegsstipendium is the best fit for people with work experience, because it has no age limit. It funds a first degree, usually up to a bachelor’s, full-time or part-time alongside work. You need a completed vocational training, then at least two years of work and an outstanding professional achievement, for example a very good qualification or an advanced training such as Master craftsman or certified business specialist. Your school-leaving qualification does not matter.
Full-time, the scholarship pays €992 per month plus €80 for books, together €1,072, regardless of income. Part-time it is €3,045 per calendar year. For each child under 14, €160 per month is added for full-time study. There are two selection rounds per year, and there is no legal entitlement. If you are already studying, you can apply in the first or second semester.
The Deutschlandstipendium pays €300 per month, half from the federal government and half from private sponsors, regardless of income. The university selects recipients based on performance and commitment and also considers personal circumstances, such as a family without an academic background. Funding initially runs for two semesters and can be extended until the end of the standard period of study. Each university sets its own deadlines. Check in advance with the BAföG office whether the scholarship reduces your BAföG.
The 13 scholarship foundations (Begabtenförderungswerke) fund students on the basis of performance and social commitment, and in 2024 they supported 31,447 students. You can find further programmes in databases such as the Stipendienlotse of the Federal Ministry of Research and at stiftungssuche.de. An overview of types and providers is in the guide Scholarships during your studies (in German).
Which loan is possible when studying over 30?
In your mid-30s, the KfW student loan is the main option, as it is open up to age 44. The Bildungskredit only applies if you have not yet completed your 36th year of life.
| KfW student loan | Bildungskredit | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18 to 44 | Before your 36th birthday |
| Monthly amount | €100 to €650 | €100, €200 or €300 |
| Duration | Up to age 34: up to 10 semesters; up to age 44: up to 6 semesters | 24 months at most |
| Maximum sum | €39,000 or €23,400 | €7,200 |
| Interest | 6.38% effective, variable (new contracts from 1 October 2026) | 4.09% effective, variable |
| Check | No collateral, independent of income and assets | No income or asset check |
The KfW student loan can be combined with BAföG and the Bildungskredit, but only one KfW student loan at a time. After payout comes a grace period of 18 to 23 months, and repayment takes up to 25 years. The Bildungskredit (in German) is repaid four years after the first payout at €120 per month and requires full-time study in an advanced phase.
Loans cost interest, and it adds up. A worked example (as of 9 October 2026): €400 per month over four years results in roughly €10,730 in interest and total repayments of about €29,930. Private bank loans usually require regular income and generally do not count BAföG or child benefit, and the average interest rate is about 8.99%. The student services organisations advise using loans as a supplement and prioritising BAföG and scholarships. The guide Student loans compared (in German) offers a provider comparison.
How much can you earn alongside your studies?
Up to €603 gross per month, your income has no effect on your BAföG. This matches the 2026 mini-job limit. At a minimum wage of €13.90, that is about 43 working hours per month. If your earnings are higher, your funding decreases proportionally. For 2027, a minimum wage of €14.60 and a mini-job limit of €633 have been agreed.
As a working student with no more than 20 hours per week during term time, you remain exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance, but pension insurance is mandatory. In a mini-job, you pay a 3.6% employee share towards pension insurance, and you can opt out on application to your employer.
The type of course also affects your budget. In a dual degree programme you are socially insured like a trainee, and student health insurance does not apply. If you choose a distance course, you need confirmation of your insurance status from your health insurer before enrolling. How a part-time course affects BAföG or insurance cannot be answered in general terms, so clarify it in advance with the BAföG office and your health insurer. Whether you can use educational leave or time off for exams or on-campus phases is a matter to discuss with your employer.
Does the Federal Employment Agency pay for a degree with a training voucher?
The training voucher (Bildungsgutschein, in German) certifies that the Federal Employment Agency funds vocational further training. It applies to approved measures, and both the training provider and the course must be approved. A university degree is not the usual scope of this funding, which aims at vocational further training. The agency decides whether anything is eligible for your situation in an advisory meeting, which is mandatory before the training starts.
You can approach the agency as an unemployed person or someone at risk of unemployment. Employees may qualify if their vocational qualification dates back at least two years, they have had no funded further training in the last two years, and the measure lasts more than 120 hours. Since 1 January 2025, job centre clients can also receive the voucher through the agency. Course fees, travel costs and childcare are covered, and under certain conditions there is also €150 per month in further training allowance. The voucher is usually valid for one to three months and limited to one training goal.
Can the employer co-finance, and what can be deducted?
Whether your employer supports your degree is agreed individually. For a funded further training, the employer may contribute alongside the training voucher. Employer-funded further training can be tax-free under § 3 no. 19 EStG (Income Tax Act), if it improves employability and is not primarily intended as a reward. Whether this applies to a contribution towards a degree is for the employer and payroll office to clarify on a case-by-case basis.
For tax purposes, it matters whether the degree is a first or a second education. If you study after completing a first education, meaning a vocational training of at least 12 months full-time with a final examination, the costs are business expenses with no upper limit (§ 9 para. 6 EStG). Any resulting loss is carried forward to later years. Without a completed first education, the deduction remains a special expense of up to €6,000 per year (§ 10 EStG). The tax office decides in individual cases.
What does health insurance cost from age 30?
Student health insurance ends at the close of the semester in which you turn 30. It can be extended only if the type of training or personal or family reasons justify it, for example the second educational pathway. After that, you can take voluntary statutory insurance or private health insurance.
In voluntary statutory insurance, a minimum contribution assessment base of €1,318.33 per month applies. An example fund with a 14.0% contribution rate and a 2.18% additional contribution comes to €268.68 for health and long-term care insurance for people without children, and your fund’s additional contribution changes that figure. BAföG adds €233 (€185 plus €48), so a gap of about €36 per month remains. Private insurance depends on age, health and tariff, contributions can rise, and returning to statutory insurance is difficult. The rules and contribution examples are in the guide Health insurance as a student over 30 (in German).
Example: what a financing mix can look like
Jonas, 33, starts a bachelor’s degree with a standard period of six semesters. He lives alone, pays his health and long-term care insurance himself, and has less than €45,000 in assets. Assume he needs €1,890 per month for rent, insurance, food and study materials.
| Source | Per month | Note |
|---|---|---|
| BAföG (maximum rate) | €1,088 | Independent of parental income, no own earnings counted |
| Mini-job | €603 | About 43 hours at a €13.90 minimum wage, without effects on BAföG |
| KfW student loan | €200 | Closes the gap, supplement only |
| Total | €1,891 | Requirement: €1,890 |
Over 36 months, Jonas receives €39,168 in BAföG (€1,088 times 36), of which €19,584 is a loan. He must repay at most €10,010 of that. In addition, there is a €7,200 student loan (€200 times 36) plus interest. The loan amount to be repaid is therefore at most €17,210, plus the interest on the student loan.
| Item | Values 2026 | 2027 (status) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic needs for students | €475 per month | €503 from winter semester 2027/28 (planned, not yet adopted) | Drucksache 21/8405 (planned, not yet adopted) |
| Housing allowance, living away from home | €380 per month | €440 from 1 April 2027 (planned, not yet adopted) | Drucksache 21/8405 (planned, not yet adopted) |
| Housing allowance, living with parents | €59 per month | €41 from 1 August 2027, then discontinued (planned, not yet adopted) | Drucksache 21/8405 (planned, not yet adopted) |
| Maximum health insurance supplement from age 30 | €185 per month | €223 (planned, not yet adopted) | DSW FAQ; Drucksache 21/8405 |
| Maximum long-term care insurance supplement from age 30 | €48 per month | €56 (planned, not yet adopted) | DSW FAQ; Drucksache 21/8405 |
| Maximum rate living away from home from age 30 | €1,088 per month | Overall maximum rate not documented (planned, not yet adopted) | bafög.de; DSW rate tables |
| Asset allowance from age 30 | €45,000 | Unchanged (planned, not yet adopted; § 29 not changed) | bafög.de; DSW FAQ 01-2026 |
| Age limit for starting the course | Before completing the 45th year of life | Unchanged (planned, not yet adopted) | bafög.de; DSW FAQ |
Frequently asked questions
Can I get BAföG for a degree at age 44?
Yes, as long as the course starts before your 45th birthday. The student services organisations put it this way: you must not be older than 44. Funding is then paid up to the end of the maximum funding period, without counting parental or spousal income. If you exceed the limit, you may in some cases use an exception, but the planned removal of that exception from 1 April 2027 is in the pipeline.
Which scholarships are available without an age limit?
The Aufstiegsstipendium has no age limit and pays €1,072 per month full-time. It is aimed at people with work experience who have a vocational qualification, at least two years of work and an outstanding professional achievement. For the Deutschlandstipendium and the scholarship foundations, the selection criteria of each institution apply, which you can check with the university and the foundation.
Can I still get a student loan at 35?
Yes, the KfW student loan. It is open up to age 44 and pays €100 to €650 per month. If you start at 35, you get it for up to six semesters and at most €23,400. The Bildungskredit is also possible as long as you have not yet completed your 36th year of life. After that, only the KfW student loan or a private loan remains.
Who pays for health insurance while studying over 30?
You do, unless other cover applies, for example through employment or family insurance. BAföG raises the maximum rate for this by €233 per month. How high your contribution is depends on whether you have voluntary statutory or private insurance. Clarify this with your health insurer before the semester starts.
What to do now
- Work out how old you will be when the course starts, and submit your BAföG application early via BAföG Digital.
- Set your monthly requirement, then deduct BAföG and part-time earnings. Cover the rest with a scholarship or loan.
- Check whether the Aufstiegsstipendium or the Deutschlandstipendium suits your situation, and observe the deadlines.
- Talk to your employer and the Federal Employment Agency about whether a contribution or a training voucher is possible.
- Clarify health insurance before the semester starts, and compare voluntary statutory and private options.
Related articles
- Studying over 30 (in German)
- Financing a degree without BAföG (in German)
- Student loans compared (in German)
- Health insurance as a student over 30 (in German)
- Financing a doctorate: position, scholarship or own funds compared (in German)
- Student financing in figures 2026/27: BAföG, child benefit and allowances (in German)
- Studying at 45: BAföG, insurance, loan (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice or tax advice. The German version is authoritative.
