Apply for professional advancement training funding

If you would like to continue your professional training and meet certain requirements, you can receive financial support for your advanced training.

With the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegs-BAföG), you can receive financial support to qualify for specialist and management positions or for self-employment. Over 700 advanced training qualifications for higher-qualified vocational training can be funded, for example

• Master craftsman
• Business administrator
• Technician
• State-recognized educator

You can only choose between upgrading training courses for which you have the prior vocational qualification.

The Aufstiegs-BAföG grant can support you through

• Contributions towards the costs of your course
• Contributions to your living expenses

You can complete the upgrading training course full-time or part-time. You can also apply for support for several stages of the course. Your further training must be offered by a suitable provider, for example a

• a public provider,
• a state-recognized provider or
• certified provider.

You can receive funding of up to EUR 15,000 for the actual course and examination fees incurred. Half of this is a grant that does not have to be repaid, the other half is a low-interest loan from KfW that you have to repay. If you successfully complete the course, part of the loan can be waived. If you set up your own business, the entire loan can be waived under certain circumstances.

The practical work you do, for example as part of the master craftsman's examination, is also subsidized. You can receive funding for up to half of the necessary and incurred material costs, up to a maximum of EUR 2,000, half as a grant and half as a loan.

With regard to the loan components of the funding, you are entitled to conclude a loan agreement with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) upon approval of the upgrading training grant. Your loan is interest-free and repayment-free for the duration of the training and a subsequent waiting period of 2 years.

You can only apply for contributions towards living expenses if you complete your training full-time. If you are the parent of one or more children, you will receive a higher grant. If you have income or assets in excess of the allowances, this will be taken into account. You must also declare other state benefits, such as unemployment benefit, when you apply. You do not have to pay back the AFBG maintenance contribution.

Single parents receive an additional monthly childcare allowance for each child under the age of 14 in their household for both full-time and part-time measures.

If you are a foreign national, you can also receive the upgrading training grant if, for example, you are a

• are a national of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) or
• have a specific residence permit or a permanent residence permit or
• have resided in Germany for a total of 3 years and have been legally employed.

• completed application
• current registration certificate
• Proof of your professional qualification, for example in the form of your examination certificate or university degree
• for full-time measures: Certificate of your statutory health insurance or insurance contract

and, if applicable:

• Copies of invoices for course and examination fees
• Proof of cost reimbursements
• Proof of income from employment, training allowances or maintenance payments
• Details of children
• Proof of receipt of financial benefits such as
  • BAföG,
  • unemployment benefit,
  • citizen's allowance,
  • rehabilitation benefits,
  • support for gifted students or similar.
• Passport or passport substitute and proof of residence permit for non-German citizenship
• Certificate of exmatriculation in the case of prematurely terminated degree programs
• Certificate of the degree of disability

• You have the necessary professional qualifications for the qualification you are aiming for.
• The training provider must be suitable, for example as:
  • public provider,
  • state-recognized provider or
  • certified provider.
• The further training prepares for a further training qualification regulated by public law or equivalent.
• Regular participation in the training course.
• The full-time training course offers
  • at least 400 teaching hours,
  • completion within 36 calendar months and
  • as a rule, at least 25 lessons per week on four working days.
• Part-time training offers
  • at least 400 teaching hours,
  • completion within 48 calendar months and
  • an average of at least 18 teaching hours per month.

• For disputes about AFBG funding: Depending on the federal state, you can either lodge an objection with the AFBG enforcement office or take legal action before the administrative court. You will find further information in your notification.
• For disputes arising from the loan agreement: Legal action before the ordinary court

• You apply for the upgrading training grant at the AFBG office responsible for your permanent place of residence.
• You submit the application with all the required documents electronically or in writing. In most federal states, you can also submit the application digitally.
• If you complete the application electronically or in writing:
  • You select the necessary forms and complete the application on the computer. Enter your name at the end of the application.
  • You send your application by e-mail to the responsible AFBG office or
  • Print out the application and send it by post with the necessary supporting documents to the AFBG office responsible.
• The AFBG enforcement office will check your details and decide whether the legal requirements for funding under the AFBG are met in your case and will send you a notification.
• The notification will tell you whether, how and to what extent your training measure will be funded.
• In addition to the grants, you are entitled to a loan agreement with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) once the funding has been approved.
• Your loan is interest-free and repayment-free for the duration of the training and a subsequent waiting period of 2 years. This means that you do not have to repay the loan in monthly installments until 2 years after the end of the training.

The measure contribution must be applied for by the end of the measure or by the end of the respective measure section at the latest.

The maintenance contribution and the childcare allowance for single parents are granted from the month in which the course begins, at the earliest from the beginning of the month of application. Retroactive approval of this benefit is not possible.

There are no costs.

There are no indications or special features.