Financing and Working as a Parent
From BAföG to housing allowance to ElterngeldPlus there are various possibilities for student parents to finance their studies. Here you can get an overview of the most important information.
BAföG
BAföG offers various measures to support student parents. Student parents receiving BAföG, receive a childcare stipend amounting to 140 euros in the form of a full grant for every child under ten years of age. If both parents are eligible for BAföG, you must decide who will receive the grant.
The maximum duration of funding can also be extended by pregnancy and raising a child under ten years old. You can find additional information on the Federal Ministry of Education and Research website (de).
Side Job
Except in a few cases, employers are prohibited from terminating you from the start of the pregnancy to four months after giving birth.
This prohibition to terminate an employee only applies if the employer is aware of the pregnancy at the time of firing the employee or is informed of the pregnancy within two weeks of firing the employee.
Pregnancy does not extend a temporary contract.
Maternity Allowance
Female students, who are publicly insured and employed, receive a so-called maternity allowance during the maternity leave dates – six weeks before and eight weeks after birth. This amounts to 13 Euros per day and is paid by the insurance company. In some cases, the employer pays the difference to the average net salary.
Female students who are employed and have health insurance through their employment or family can receive maternity benefits from the German Federal Social Insurance Office. This can amount to 210 euros for the whole time period of maternity leave. You can find detailled information on the Bundesversicherungsamt website.
As opposed to the maternity allowance paid by insurance companies, the maternity benefits paid by the German Federal Social Insurance Office does not count towards the parent allowance.
Parent Allowance and ElterngeldPlus
Students can also receive a parent allowance or ElterngeldPlus. You can find detailed information on the website of the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth or on our Infosheet (de). You can also arrange an individual consultation with us.
Child Benefit
The child benefit for the first and second child amounts to 204 Euros a month and is disbursed in the child's birth month. The child benefit for the third child is 210 Euros, and 235 Euros for every additional child per month.
Foreigners living in Germany can receive the child benefit as long as they have valid permanent residency or a Niederlassungserlaubnis. Citizens of the EU, EEA, and Switzerland, can receive the child benefit regardless of permanent residency.
Here you can find more information.
Supplemental Child Allowance
Families, who can cover the cost of their own living, but not that of their children, can apply for the so-called supplemental child allowance. A prerequisite for applying is a minimum monthly income of 900 Euros among couples and 600 Euros for single parents.
The supplemental child allowance is 160 Euros maximum per child per month. Foreign parents can also receive the supplemental child allowance if you are receiving child allowance for the child.
It is not possible to receive ALG II and the supplemental child allowance at the same time!
You can find out from your employment agency whether you are eligible to receive the supplemental Children's Allowance. Further information can be found here.
The services of the Bildungs- und Teilhabepaket are available to children in families receiving the supplemental child allowance.
Housing Allowance
The housing allowance offers financial asisstance if rent poses a great burden to your household income. The amount of assistance is based on your household income and the cost of rent and heating.
Persons eligible for BAföG cannot receive the housing allowance, since BAföG already contains a housing stipend. However, if you household has at least one person, who is not eligible for BAföG, you are eligible for the housing allowance.
You can find additional information about the housing allowance on the webpages of the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing, and Transport for the State of NRW (de).
Other Financing Possibilities
One-time financial assistance for maternity clothing and initial items can be granted to families in need through the Bundesstiftung Mutter und Kind. The funds are disbursed by state-approved advising offices.
RWTH Aachen offers its own scholarship through the Education Fund.
Additional information is available on the Scholarships and Funding Programs page.
Since the 2017 summer semester, the Family Services Center will offer a child care grant to be used for private childcare. Detailled information is available here or you may contact the Family Service Center directly.