Funding and Financial Aid

To commence studies and begin an academic degree program is an investment in your own education and future – and of course, this means it also has its price: tuition fees, semester tickets for public transport, books, copies and not the least, the cost of living.

The funding of your studies often consists of several components. Besides private funding, other options are also used by many of our students, which we will share with you in the following pages:

 

The German Federal Student Loan Program "BAföG" is a program created by the German government and is an abbreviation for the “Federal Education Assistance Act”. This is a governmental social contribution program for apprentices, trainees and students in the form of interest-free loans.

All full-time courses at the HMKW are eligible for funding with the BAföG program. The amount of your personal entitlement depends on several factors such as your visa status, age, personal income as well as your parents’ income. You can calculate your personal entitlement online at www.bafoeg-rechner.de.

No matter what HMKW location you want to study at, since Berlin is the primary HMKW campus, the general student union in Berlin is responsible for your application: www.studentenwerk-berlin.de.

The individual review of your application by the BaföG-Office can take some time, so we recommend you to submit your application along with all needed documents as soon as possible. Some of these documents include the application forms and other needed verifications such as a lease agreement (if you no longer living with parents), your parents income statement as well as proof of your independent means. You also can submit the application online at:
www.berlin-bafoeg.de/BAfoeGOnline/ABAfoeG/.

The BAföG funding will only be distributed from the month of your initial application; it will not be paid out retroactively.

The Office for Educational Support at the Student Union Berlin is available for you and any questions you might have regarding BAföG. There also is a toll-free hotline, offered by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research along with the German Student Union that you can call for help. It can be reached by calling +49 (0) 800-223 63 41 or +49 (0) 800-BAFOEG1 from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The KfW’s student loan (German abbreviation for “Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau”) offers a funding opportunity for students during their first academic and continuing academic careers and is independent from the income of the students, or that of their parents (assuming there is no personal insolvency issues). Students can apply to receive a monthly rate starting from 100,- up to 650,- EUR. You can have your individual amount of support calculated at the KfW’s website. For further information and to download application forms please visit:

https://www.kfw.de/inlandsfoerderung/Privatpersonen/Studieren-Qualifizieren/KfW-Studienkredit/index-4.html

 

 

In addition to, or as an alternative to the BAföG-loan, there is the educational loan (Ger. “Bildungskredit”), which the German Federal Government initiated. The student loan provides support for students in advanced educational stages. It is of limited duration and of reduced rates of interest.

You can apply online through the Federal Administration Office’s (BVA) website at:

https://www.bva.bund.de/SharedDocs/Aufgaben/EN/E/educational-loan.html

 

 

HMKW has been taking part in the Deutschlandstipendium program since the winter term 2015. We are happy to offer the scholarship again this academic year. Anyone planning to study, or currently studying, a full-time program (Bachelor or Master) at HMKW can apply for the scholarship:

Applicants who possess a superior academic record as well as special social and/or political commitments are eligible to apply. Another criterion is the compensation of a social disadvantage by the applicant.

Scholarship holders receive 300,- EUR monthly starting October for the duration of one year (the scholarship holder will also receive this stipend if he/she decides to spend a semester during the year abroad with the ERASMUS program). If you plan to combine the Deutschlandstipendium with another kind of scholarship, please read this paper (in German only). BAföG monies, child subsidies and accommodation allowances are not affected.

A HMKW scholarship committee will choose the winners after the application deadline. For more information, please contact our study advisory team at studienberatung (at) hmkw.de with the subject heading “Deutschlandstipendium” or our scholarship info page.

The winners for the academic year 2022/2023 are:

    Mr. Max Beckmann
    Ms. Chelsea Gröper
    Ms. Louisa Müller
    Ms. Sharmini Sivanathan

Congratulations!

 

Here you can apply for the Deutschlandstipendium 2023/24.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports well over 100,000 German and international students and scholars around the globe every year - making it the world's largest funding organization of its kind.

DAAD scholarships are primarily aimed at advanced students, doctoral candidates and postgraduates and are awarded for study and research stays at universities and non-university research institutions in Germany. In some programs, internships are also funded.

Here you can find more information

Prospective and current students of HMKW have the possibility to apply for public scholarships. Depending on the selection process (prospective) students can apply or be proposed for a scholarship. As a rule, the receipt of a scholarship is linked to outstanding achievements in school or university and/or to a special social, social or political commitment. In addition to financial support, which does not have to be paid back, scholarship holders often receive non-material support in the form of knowledge transfer, advice and contacts.

There are several websites that may help finding the right scholarship for you:

www.e-fellows.net

www.elternkompass.info

www.mystipendium.de

Selection of Foundations

Cusanuswerk - Bischöfliche Studienförderung - www.cusanuswerk.de

Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk - www.ELES-studienwerk.de

Evangelisches Studienwerk e.V. Villigst - www.evstudienwerk.de

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung - www.fes.de

Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung - www.freiheit.org

Hanns-Seidel- Stiftung - www.hss.de

Hans-Böckler-Stiftung - www.boeckler.de

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung - www.boell.de

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung - www.kas.de

Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung - www.sbb-stipendien.de

Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft - www.sdw.org

Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes - www.studienstiftung.de

 

 

Other financial aid options

Besides BAföG, scholarships and student loans, there are a few other possibilities for students to fund their studies.

Educational funds

There are several providers of so-called educational funds (primarily companies and non-profit organizations) which offer a certain payment out during your academic studies. These funds are meant to fund current of upcoming tuition and living expenses, while setting the amount to be repaid after completion of these studies according to your future job and income. Depending on your current and expected income this can be more or less than your may need or use. The paid out amount and the payback period are independent from the providers’ selection criteria and are contractually agreed upon in advance.

Side jobs

Your full-time studies should be your main focus. Still a side job is very common for students which is why it can’t be left out of this list!

Please notice that an income through a job influences your BAföG entitlement, and during the term of studies, students are allowed to work a total of 20 hours a week. During the term breaks, students may work full-time.

To help you find a job please have a look at

Job data base of the Berlin Studentenwerk

Job data base "Stellenwerk" of the Cologne University

 

 

Are you interested in studying at HMKW and would like to find out about the possibilities of financing your studies? We would be happy to inform you about the various options in a personal or telephone conversation. Together we will try to find individual financing options.