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If you have a low income, you can apply for a deferral of the repayment obligation for your BAföG loan.
This form can be submitted electronically without signature (e.g. via a secure contact form or by e-mail) or in paper form to the responsible authority.
If your net income is below a certain limit, the so-called total allowance, you can apply for a deferral of your BAföG repayment. If your net income exceeds the total allowance by less than EUR 130, you can apply for a partial exemption.
From 01.10.2024, your basic allowance will be EUR 1,690 per month and will be increased by further allowances to your total allowance.
Your basic allowance increases
An exemption does not mean that you do not have to repay the loan at all, but that for a certain period of time you can either
This depends on the amount by which your net income exceeds your total allowance.
Full exemption:
Partial exemption with reduced installments:
No exemption:
If you submit the first application for exemption after 01.10.2024 or the BVA decides on your first application after 01.10.24, you will generally be exempted from repayment for 2 years if the decision is positive. An exemption is not automatically extended. You must then submit a subsequent application, which is usually valid for one year.
You can only be exempted for monthly installments that are not yet due. Retroactive exemption is granted for a maximum of 4 months from the date of application.
If the four-month retroactive effect is not sufficient, you can apply for a deferral for the monthly installments that have already accrued. The deferral is a temporary suspension of payment of amounts already due. This includes not only loan installments due, but also reminder costs, costs for determining your address and interest on late payments.
You can apply for a deferral together with the application for exemption.
Please note:
In the following cases of compensation for disadvantages, you must apply separately for an increase in the exemption amount:
Your income may not exceed the total allowance to which you are entitled by more than the monthly installment set for you. Proof of income is required for this.
The allowances for spouses, life partners or children are only taken into account in full under the following conditions:
Additional allowances for spouses, civil partners and children are only available if:
If your wife or husband, your partner or your children, provided they are already of legal age, have their own income, their tax-free allowances are reduced accordingly by their own income.
From the start of repayment, you can apply for exemption from the repayment obligation online, by telephone or by post
If you are applying online:
Apply online via eID - electronic identity card:
Please note: If you use the online procedure, you will be guided step by step through the application process. This procedure is therefore recommended.
Application by post:
There is no deadline for submitting an application. You can submit the application directly at the start of the repayment phase or as soon as your income changes.
The deferral of payment through an exemption is valid for 2 years if granted for the first time from 01.10.2024. A subsequent application is usually valid for one year. A retroactive exemption is granted for a maximum of 4 months from the date of application.
There are no indications or special features.
Appeal to the Federal Office of Administration within one month of notification of the decision.
You can reduce your BAföG debt by repaying the loan early.
If you received BAföG support during your studies, you must repay the loan portion.