Students with children are often faced with the challenge of re-planning the finances they need to study, adjusting them to fit their student status or a potential leave of absence.
We would like to provide you with an overview of benefits programmes specifically for parents, loan and scholarship programmes and available discounts. Depending on your current situation and your age, there are different options to apply for loans or scholarships. Contact us to find out how best to finance your studies.
You can experience dry stretches in your finances, because, for example, you are no longer eligible for BAföG during a leave of absence, funding received from one benefits programme (Wohngeld, etc.) is automatically deducted from another (BAföG) or benefits programmes do not cooperate with each other. If this is the case, please contact Seezeit social counselling or the “studying with children” team for assistance.
Loans and scholarship programmes
Please note that you are not eligible for BAföG funding during a leave of absence for Elternzeit (parental leave) (see leave of absence). One funding alternative during a leave of absence for Mutterschutz (maternity leave) or Elternzeit (parental leave) can be ALG II unemployment benefit. In order to request ALG II, you will, however, need to pause your studies.
If instead you would like to complete part of your studies during a leave of absence, you should consider applying for a student loan or a scholarship programme.
Visit the Seezeit pages for a comprehensive overview of student loan options.
The Central Student Advisory Service (ZSB) provides a wide range of information on funding your studies (including scholarships).
If you have already completed vocational training, are currently employed and are considering starting your studies, the “Aufstiegsstipendium” from the sbb could be of interest to you.
Students with children also also eligible for the University of Konstanz’s Deutschlandstipendium.
Individual family support measures
Seezeit student services and the “studying with children” team work to provide students with children the information, access to networks and individual support they need to reduce the financial pressure they face. Individual family support measures include:
- Requesting funding for baby’s first things: Upon request, the local charities Sozialdienst Katholischer Frauen (SKF) and Diakonie provide funding to buy baby’s first things.
- Mensa Kids Card and reserved table for families in the Seezeit canteens
- Tips on saving electrical costs Caritas Konstanz
- Second hand bazaars for children’s items and Second hand clothing bazaars
- Discounts in the city’s childcare centres: Depending on the parents’ income, the city of Konstanz subsidizes some childcare expenses. Visit the city of Konstanz’s website for the respective application form and other information.
- Discounts in the university’s childcare centre: If you have a Studierende-Eltern-Pass (StEP), you are eligible for reduced rates for flexible childcare as well as a € 10 credit for printing and copying services per semester.
Information about health insurance
Until you turn 25, you usually have health insurance coverage through your parents, as long as you do not earn more than € 395 per month. After this point, you can purchase insurance for approx. € 78/month as long as you are under 30 years of age and have not yet completed the 14th semester of your study programme. In either of these cases, your coverage ends automatically. If you are unmarried, you will then need to purchase health insurance at the much higher rate of about € 158/month. If you are close to finishing your studies, then it can certainly be worth it to ask your health insurance provider to extend your insurance coverage at the lower rate before it expires.