Apply for a deferral for BAföG repayment

The Federal Office of Administration is responsible for collecting BAföG loans. You will receive a repayment notice about four years after the end of your maximum funding period. Note: The numbers listed below are correct as of July 2012.

The repayment rate should be generally acceptable

• Before considering a deferral, you should know that the minimum repayment rate is € 105 / month. Maybe you can do it. Remember that you want to be out of debt in the long term and that you need to plan your life financially.
• You should also know that you have to repay a maximum of € 10,000 on your BAföG loan. The loan is also interest-free.
• Your repayment obligation starts five years after the end of the maximum funding period.

Deferral if your income is low

• If you only have a low income, you can apply for an exemption from the repayment obligation, i.e. a deferral. Your monthly adjusted net income is decisive. This is the income that results after deducting taxes, income-related expenses and social security contributions. Child benefit does not count towards income.


BAföG repayment in one fell swoop - advantages and disadvantages

BAföG is a state loan and must be returned to the ...

• For an exemption and deferral, your adjusted income may not exceed € 1070. You will receive an additional tax exemption of € 535 for your spouse and a tax exemption of € 485 for each child.
• If you are disabled, the allowance increases by the amount of your disability-related expenses.

Study with the aim of partial waiver of your loan

• You can also apply for the loan to be partially waived. The prerequisite is that you have above-average academic success or that you have completed your studies early. In the case of early loan repayment, part of the loan will also be waived.
• If you have children to look after, you can also apply for a deferral during the repayment phase if you have a low income.

Children pay off in the repayment phase

• In addition to an exemption of € 1070 for each child, you can claim an additional € 485 as an exemption. If you are also single, you can use the costs for external care of your child, add up to 175 € / month for the first and 85 € for each additional child.
• More information can be found in the brochure "An overview of social security" from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Social Affairs specifically for BAföG inform.