You only need to read the following section if you already have a professional qualification or a university degree before the start of your studies. This depends on completed a course of study which can in principle be supported by BAföG (technical college, vocational school). In-company training (teaching) is not taken into consideration.

A master’s degree can in principle be funded if it is based on a Bachelor’s degree or baccalaureate course and you have so far only completed a Bachelor’s degree or baccalaureate course. If, for example, you are admitted to a Master’s degree on the basis of a diploma, no further funding is possible under BAföG.

The following are examples of when educational support funding is provided for one further course of study:

• When the course of study builds upon a higher education course or equivalent as per national law, as legally required for the pursuit of the desired career (e.g. further training in psychotherapy after Master’s degree in psychology, enabling you to work as a psychotherapist)

• When access to the course was made possible by the previous course of study, and the course is also self-contained and pursues a further specialisation in the same field (e.g. carer after training as a socio-pedagogical assistant)

• When the previous course was at a technical higher secondary school (attendance of which requires you to have completed vocational training), an evening grammar school, or a college, and was furthermore an entry requirement for continuing your education (e.g. degree course after going to an evening grammar school)

• When the entrance requirements for the course of study to be funded were met by doing a non-school-pupil examination or an entrance examination for a university

• When the student has completed an at least three-year course of study as initial vocational training at a technical college or vocational school and the completion of previous professional education was not a condition of entry (e.g. a degree after completing a course at a technical college for fashion design)

• When you have a Bachelor’s degree and then start a Master’s degree. It is not required to immediately continue studying after the Bachelor’s degree. (However, please note the age limit – 35 years – when starting a Master’s degree.) It does matter what kind of university the degree is from, or whether it was gained inside our outside of Germany. If your university has only provisionally enrolled you on the Master’s degree because you do not yet have your Bachelor’s degree results, financial support will be provided until you finally receive notice of admission, with the right reserved to demand repayment.

Generally, educational support funding is only provided for further studies if the unique circumstances in a single case – in particular the educational goal – require this. For this purpose, please visit us during consultation hours for detailed advice.