The BAföG is a good financing option for many students. Certain income limits, however, may not be exceeded. The disadvantage of BAfög is that its recipients must repay half of the grant.  More information on BAföG.

Contact:
Studierendenwerk Hamburg
Grindelallee 9 in 20146 Hamburg
Telephone:+49 ( 0)40.41 902 -0
Telefax: +49 (0)40.41 902 -126
Email: bafoeg(at)studierendenwerk.hamburg.de
Web: www.studierendenwerk-hamburg.de

As early as 2001, the German Federal Government launched the Educational Loan Program to ensure that the desired education or studies, as well as internships, do not founder for financial reasons. Since then, more than 120,000 students have been supported with educational loans. More Information on the Federal Government's educational loan program.

DKB provides EUR 25 million for the DKB Student Education Fund. Students at universities, universities of applied sciences, or private educational institutions, who began their studies before the age of 30, are thus given the opportunity to take out a student loan at favorable conditions.  More information on the DKB Student Education Fund.

Financial support for highly talented students is provided by a number of organizations, such as trade unions, churches or political parties. In order to receive a scholarship, applicants usually have to undergo a selection process and meet certain criteria. While some organizations select applicants on the basis of merit and grades, others focus more on volunteer work. Do your research - it is worth it!

The core nationwide organizations and foundations for the support of talented students can be found here.

The website mystipendium.de offers a meta-search engine for scholarships. A matching procedure helps students find exactly which scholarships and other forms of student financing are available and most suitable, in each specific case. The site's database contains more than 2,100 scholarship programs and other grants with an annual total value of more than 465 million euros.

The website Fernstudium-Direkt.de provides the Supported Learning dossier. Its authors not only provide an overview of all the large funding agencies, but also specifically name smaller sponsors and local programs. It also explains the advantages of a scholarship, the various requirements to be met and the application procedures involved. Likewise included are chapters on scholarships for students, professionals and those who would like to study abroad. The dossier can be downloaded here.

Many banks and credit institutions in Germany offer educational loans at a relatively low interest rate and an extended repayment period. You can also obtain information about this from your local bank, such as  Hamburger Sparkasse, HASPA Kompetenz-Center Heilberufe or Deutschen Bank.