General information
IMPORTANT NOTE
The information provided here is non-binding. Legal and financial regulations
may differ significantly depending on your nationality. Some measures may be
accessible to EU citizens but not to third-country nationals.
FOR NON-EU
CITIZENS, APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE CAN LEAD TO CONSIDERABLE PROBLEMS
WITH THEIR RESIDENCE PERMIT.
In such
cases, the Frankfurt Association for the Support of International Students (Frankfurter Verein zur Unterstützung
internationaler Studierender e. V.) might be the only possibility to obtain
financial assistance.
Special
rules currently apply in many areas for Ukrainian refugees.
If in doubt, please contact the respective advisory services linked to this website.
With the
help of the Information Tool for Families (Infotool für Familien) of Germany's
Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, you can
quickly establish which benefits and assistance you and your family can claim.
Unfortunately, there is no English translation. If in doubt, please request
help.
The Family Portal of the Federal
Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
(familienportal)
provides a good overview of family benefits in different circumstances. It is
available in several languages.
The
Ministry's service hotline can answer any specific questions:
+49-(0)30-201-79130. It is not clear whether staff speak languages other than
German.
You can
find an overview of advisory services at Goethe University Frankfurt here.
To clarify
individual claims and questions regarding how to finance your studies, we
recommend going to the Advising Centre of Frankfurt StudentServices (Studierendenwerk
Frankfurt am Main) in the lecture hall complex on Westend Campus, which is
specialised in this topic and in this context also has students with family
responsibilities in mind.
You can find comprehensive information on possible financial support for international students on the website of our university’s Global Office.
In relation
to state education and training assistance, there are meanwhile numerous special
rules for students with family responsibilities. For example:
·
Childcare
subsidies
·
Support
if students interrupt their studies
·
Extension
of financial assistance, etc.
For an
initial overview, please also note the compact brochure on State Funding, Educational
Loans and Emergency Support published by the Global Office of Goethe University Frankfurt.
Parental allowance (Elterngeld) is a form of compensation
for loss of income due to parental leave (Elternzeit).
The amount depends on the person's income in
the last 12 months before the child's birth and is on average about 65% of
their net income. Parents with a low income are eligible for up to 100% of their
lost net income.
Parents who had no earned income prior to the
child's birth are eligible for the minimum allowance.
The Parental Allowance Calculator and Planner (Elterngeldrechner mit Planer), which you can find in the Family Portal
(familienportal) of Germany's Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens,
Women and Youth, can help you to calculate how much parental allowance you are
likely entitled to. Unfortunately, the calculator is only available in German.
You can find a detailed overview of the rules
on parental allowance in the Family Portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior
Citizens, Women and Youth
(familienportal). It is available in several
languages.
Parental leave and parental allowance for
foreign nationals are explained on the following website of the Federal
Government: make-it-in-germany.com.
Child benefit can be paid for own, foster or adopted children, grandchildren, children of the spouse or the civil partner from birth until the age of 18 – in certain cases also beyond that age. Furthermore you have to belong to one of the following groups of persons:
This list is not exhaustive. Possible claims based on international and supranational law or the Federal Child Benefits Act are not taken into account here.
You can
find more information about this in the Family Portal of the Federal
Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (familienportal).
You can
find details of the current amount as well as further information on the
website of the Federal Employment Agency.
You can
submit your application online after the birth.
The hotline of the Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) is at your disposal under +49-(0)-800-4555530 (free of charge within Germany's fixed-line network).
Maternity allowance compensates for loss of income when an (expectant) mother is not allowed to work during her pregnancy or after childbirth, e.g. during the maternity protection periods.
You can find out more about the different types of maternity allowance in the Family Portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (familienportal).
If students
are entitled to a grant under the Federal Education and Training Assistance Act
(BAföG), this initially precludes them from drawing unemployment benefit. This
applies even if you are basically eligible for such a grant but do not actually
receive one.
There are,
however, a number of hardship cases that allow for an interest-free loan under
Social Code Book II or a subsidy/loan under Social Code Book XII.
Please be
sure to seek individual advice from Frankfurt Student Services (Studierendenwerk Frankfurt am Main)
and independent social counselling services before submitting an application,
as under certain circumstances an application might jeopardise your residence
status.
Good to know:
The authorities responsible might approve one-off grants for maternity clothes
or a baby layette.
Children are generally not affected by the
exclusion rules for students. They have their own independent claim, so
that in the event that an application for what is known as the “benefit community"
(Bedarfsgemeinschaft) is rejected, an independent application for the child is
still possible.
In
addition, children of parents drawing unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld II),
social benefit (Sozialgeld), social welfare (Sozialhilfe), supplementary child
allowance (Kinderzuschlag) or housing benefit (Wohngeld) are entitled to
benefits for education and participation (see below).
You can
find more information about this on the website of the City of Frankfurt (in German only).
The purpose of education and participation benefits (also known as “Educational Package" (Bildungspaket)) is to support children whose parents are drawing unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld II), social benefit (Sozialgeld), social welfare (Sozialhilfe), supplementary child allowance (Kinderzuschlag) or housing benefit (Wohngeld). For example, the cost of nursery, pre-school and school excursions or dinner money can be covered.
You can
find more information on the website of the City of Frankfurt (in German only).
The Federal Foundation – Mother and Child provides assistance in financially difficult situations for expenses related to pregnancy and birth, such as maternity clothes or a baby layette. There is no legal entitlement to this support, benefits depend on the respective emergency situation and are means-tested.
Applications
for financial support should be submitted to pregnancy counselling centres,
e.g. pro familia, Workers' Welfare Association (Arbeiterwohlfahrt), Caritas, Federation
of Welfare Associations in Germany (Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband),
German Red Cross (Deutscher Rotes Kreuz), Diakonisches Werk (a charitable
organisation of Protestant churches in Germany), donum vitae, Catholic Women's
Welfare Service (Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen) or the pregnancy counselling
centres of the cities and districts (and not to the foundation).
The
Frankfurt Pass is a service provided by the City of Frankfurt for low-income
households with their first place of residence in Frankfurt. It entitles
families to many concessions at public institutions in the city and on public
transport.
You can find detailed information on the website of the City of Frankfurt (in German only).
As a
supplement to child benefit, parents on a low income can receive supplementary
child allowance if they have enough income for themselves but it does not cover
all the family’s needs.
You can find more about this in the Family Portal of the Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (familienportal).
The purpose
of the Culture Pass (Kulturpass) is to enable unemployed
persons and people on a low income in Frankfurt to participate in the city's
rich cultural portfolio. The pass, which is issued by the association Kultur
für ALLE e. V., costs €1 per year for adults and 50 cents
for children and enables holders to visit about 200 cultural institutions.
Detailed information can be found on the association's website: Kultur für ALLE e. V. (in German only).
Children in
after-school facilities and extended school care (Erweiterte Schulische
Betreuung) as well as children newly admitted to nursery school up to 3 months
before their third birthday (early admissions (vorgezogene Aufnahmen)) can be
entitled to a reduction in fees. Applications for a reduction in fees (in German only) can be submitted to the Municipal
Education Authority of the City of Frankfurt (Stadtschulamt Frankfurt am Main).
All information about advance maintenance payments can be found in the Family Portal of the Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (familienportal).
To ensure adequate and family-friendly accommodation, there is the possibility to apply for housing benefit. It can make sense for those persons to apply for housing benefit who are drawing unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld ALG I), have a “mini job" or are supported by their partner or family. Whether housing benefit is granted depends on the following factors:
A
combination of housing benefit and unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld ALG
II) within a benefit community (Bedarfsgemeinschaft) is possible under certain
circumstances.
Note: You
can use the housing benefit calculator on the
website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (Wohngeldrechner) (in German only) to find out whether you are in
principle eligible for housing benefit.
You can find further information about housing benefit on the website of the City of Frankfurt (in German only).
Please direct enquiries
for consultations to beratung-familie@uni-frankfurt.de.
---
Benjamin Kirst
Family-Service Officer
Fon: +49 69 798-18124
E-Mail: kirst@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Campus Westend, SKW-Building, Room 05.C111
Visiting address
Goethe University Frankfurt a.M.
Equal Opportunities Office
SKW-Building
Rostocker Str. 2
60323 Frankfurt am Main
Fon: +49 69 798-18698
Email: gleichstellungsbuero@uni-frankfurt.de
Postal address
Equal Opportunities Office
Goethe University Frankfurt a.M.
Postbox 227
60629 Frankfurt am Main