Studying at 30 is possible and affordable. BAföG (federal student financial aid) is available if your studies begin before your 45th birthday, and from age 30 it is generally calculated without counting parental income. The maximum rate is then €1,088 a month.
The bigger change concerns health insurance. Compulsory student insurance ends with the semester in which you turn 30, and if you start your studies later, you generally cannot rely on it. This feeds directly into your monthly budget.
Key facts
- BAföG is available if your studies begin before your 45th birthday. From age 30 parental income generally no longer counts.
- The maximum rate is €1,088 a month with your own flat and €767 if you live with your parents. Half is a grant, the other half an interest-free loan.
- Student compulsory health insurance ends with the semester of your 30th birthday. Afterwards, voluntary statutory or private insurance comes into question.
- Further building blocks: KfW student loan up to age 44, Aufstiegsstipendium without an age limit, education loan (Bildungskredit) with its own conditions.
- Planned but not yet decided: the exceptions to the BAföG age limit of 45 are to be removed, with a transitional rule.
Studying over 30: what speaks for it, what against it?
Being at university in your early 30s is not an exception. Doctoral candidates in Germany are on average 30.5 years old (Federal Statistical Office, 2025). People who return after training or years of work often know more precisely what the degree is needed for. Anyone who later wants to do a doctorate will find the requirements in PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements.
Against this stand tasks that are less common in your early 20s: rent, family, existing obligations and an income that falls away or shrinks. Clarify these points before enrolment:
- How will you finance the entire length of your studies, not just the first year?
- How will you be insured from the start of your studies, and what will it cost?
- How much time remains alongside work, family and household?
- Which form of study suits your everyday life: on-campus, dual, distance learning or part-time?
Do you get BAföG at 30 and older?
Yes, as long as your studies begin before your 45th birthday. The student services organisations put it as follows: you must not be older than 44. From age 30, more favourable rules also apply, which you can read about in the FAQ of the student services organisations:
| Rule | Value from age 30 |
|---|---|
| Age limit at the start of studies | Before your 45th birthday |
| Income of parents and spouse | Generally does not count if studies begin between the ages of 30 and 45 |
| Maximum rate with your own flat | €1,088 a month |
| Maximum rate with parents | €767 a month |
| Surcharge for health and long-term care insurance (self-payers) | €185 and €48 a month |
| Assets allowance | €45,000 (up to 29 years: €15,000) |
| Own income without effect on BAföG | Up to €603 gross a month |
Whether your 30th birthday must have passed at the start of studies for parental income to fall away is decided by the BAföG office in the individual case. Before the 30th birthday, parental income can also be disregarded, for example after five years of employment since your 18th birthday, or after vocational training of three years plus three years of employment. You apply online via BAföG Digital. The office for training assistance at the student services organisation is responsible.
Example: you are 33, live alone, have no income of your own and pay your health and long-term care insurance yourself. The maximum rate is made up as follows: €475 basic need, €380 housing allowance, and €185 and €48 surcharge for health and long-term care insurance, together €1,088. Of this, €544 is a grant and €544 an interest-free loan. With four years of funding at the maximum rate, €26,112 of loans would add up. You would have to repay at most €10,010.
Studying over 40: which age limit applies?
BAföG requires that your studies begin before your 45th birthday. Exceptions currently exist, for example if you are raising a child, if you reach the limit during the bachelor’s and immediately continue with the master’s, or if you enrol through a vocational qualification without the Abitur. The BAföG office examines the details.
The federal government wants to remove these exceptions, with a transitional rule. This is a government draft that the Bundestag and Bundesrat have not yet passed (status October 2026). If you are over 40 and planning a degree, therefore apply for BAföG early and ask the office for the current position.
Financing your studies over 30: what are the alternatives to BAföG?
BAföG does not cover every case, for example if you are above the age limit or your assets exceed the allowance. The following building blocks may then be considered:
| Building block | Age limit | Key details |
|---|---|---|
| Aufstiegsstipendium (SBB scholarships) | None | Completed vocational training, several years of employment afterwards and an outstanding professional achievement. The SBB states the amounts for full-time and part-time study. Funds a first degree, usually up to the bachelor’s. |
| KfW student loan | Up to 44 years | €100 to €650 a month, without collateral, independent of income and assets. 6.38% effective, variable, for new contracts from 1 October 2026. The older you are at the start, the shorter the funding period: up to 34 years up to ten semesters (at most €39,000), up to 44 years up to six semesters (at most €23,400). |
| Education loan (Bildungskredit) (in German) | See the conditions of the programme | €100, €200 or €300 a month for at most 24 months, from the advanced phase of full-time study. 4.09% effective, variable. |
A loan costs interest, and the interest adds up. Over a long funding period, the interest adds up to a considerable sum on top of the amount you borrowed. The student services organisations therefore advise seeing loans as a supplement and preferring BAföG and scholarships. Universities also award the Deutschlandstipendium of €300 a month, selected by performance and commitment.
A side job can partly close the gap. The mini-job limit in 2026 is €603 a month; at the minimum wage of €13.90, that is around 43 working hours. As long as you stay below it, it has no effect on your BAföG. As a working student with at most 20 hours a week during the lecture period, you are exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance, while pension insurance remains compulsory.
If you plan a semester abroad, find out early how to finance a study abroad (in German). Auslands-BAföG can fund the entire degree in the EU and Switzerland and, outside, generally up to one year; the application should ideally be made at least six months before the start abroad.
Health insurance when studying over 30: what changes?
Compulsory student health insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30. An extension is only possible on a reasoned application for each semester, for example in cases of illness, care or voluntary service. Afterwards, depending on your circumstances, voluntary statutory insurance or private health insurance remains. Whether another cover applies to you, for example through employment or family, is clarified by your health insurance fund.
| Cover | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Student health insurance (until the end of the semester of your 30th birthday) | For comparison: in 2026 around €148 for health and long-term care insurance for childless members from 23, calculated with an additional contribution of 2.9% |
| Voluntary statutory insurance | A minimum assessment of €1,318.33 a month applies. At the average additional contribution of 2.9%, a childless member pays €278.17 for health and long-term care insurance; your fund’s additional contribution changes the figure |
| Private health insurance | Depends on age, health and tariff; there is no flat figure |
BAföG covers part of this: the surcharge for self-payers from age 30 totals €233 (€185 plus €48). This does not fully cover the minimum contribution.
Private insurance is an option, but it brings commitments. Contributions can rise over time, and the way back to statutory insurance is difficult. If you are exempted from compulsory insurance while studying without interruption, you commit irrevocably for the entire course of study. The options for students over 30 are described in PKV for students over 30: your options (in German).
How do study, work and family fit together?
BAföG takes family situations into account: for each child under 14 there are €160 a month. The maximum funding period is extended by an appropriate time when you raise a child or care for a relative at home.
If you want to keep working, look at distance learning, dual or part-time programmes. For a distance degree, for example, the FernUni Hagen requires digital confirmation from a statutory health insurance fund about your insurance status before enrolment. In a dual programme you are socially insured like a trainee, and the student health insurance does not apply. There are no general tuition fees; the semester fee is due, which differs between universities.
Whether a university or a university of applied sciences suits you better is explained in University of applied sciences or university (in German). If you are interested in environment, energy or planning, the degree programmes with a sustainability focus (in German) provide an overview. How the application works depends on the subject and access route; details on admission restrictions (NC) and waiting times are in NC and waiting time: applying successfully (in German).
Frequently asked questions
How can I finance a degree over 40?
BAföG is available if your studies begin before your 45th birthday. The KfW student loan is open until 44, with six semesters of funding and at most €23,400. The Aufstiegsstipendium has no age limit, but requires vocational training, work experience and an outstanding professional achievement. The education loan has its own conditions.
Do I have to repay BAföG in full?
No, only half is a loan, and of that you must repay at most €10,010 in instalments of €130 a month. Repayment begins five years after the end of the maximum funding period. If your income is low, you can apply to be exempted.
Can I deduct the costs of a later degree from tax?
That depends on whether it is a first or a second training. For a first degree, the costs are special expenses up to €6,000 a year. A degree after vocational training counts as a second training; then work-related expenses are possible without a maximum amount, and a loss is offset later. In individual cases the tax office decides.
Your next steps
- Work out how old you will be when you start studying, and submit the BAföG application early via BAföG Digital.
- Set a monthly budget. The maximum rate of €1,088 is an anchor; side jobs, scholarships or a loan can supplement it.
- Ask your health insurance fund about your insurance status for the start of the semester, and compare voluntary statutory and private insurance.
- Check whether the Aufstiegsstipendium or the Deutschlandstipendium fits your situation, and calculate loans only as a supplement.
- Clarify study format, type of higher education institution and application before you commit.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the route to advice on the Academycon homepage (in German).
Related articles
- PKV for students over 30: your options (in German)
- Financing a study abroad: Auslands-BAföG, Erasmus and scholarships (in German)
- University of applied sciences or university: what suits you better? (in German)
- NC and waiting time: applying successfully (in German)
- Health insurance as a student over 30: compulsory insurance, costs and options (in German)
- Extending student health insurance beyond 30 (in German)
- Studying without the Abitur: routes, requirements and funding (in German)
- Financing a degree over 30: BAföG, scholarship, loan and side job (in German)
Related guides
- Living and studying in Germany
- PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements
- Affordable student housing: strategy, portals and costs
- Studying in Germany: 30 university cities compared
- German original (in German)
Information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative. Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.
