Student financing

For a large proportion of students, a part-time job is the main source of funding during their studies. In general, the following should apply to any part-time job: The studies come first!

Basically, a distinction is made between a mini-job and a working student job.

Many part-time jobs are advertised on a 450 euro basis. This means that you earn a maximum of 450 euros per month, but do not have to pay any taxes. The employer pays the wage tax and a contribution to the pension and health insurance. The only cost incurred by mini-jobbers is a part of the contribution to the pension insurance. You can choose not to pay into the pension fund, but in return you will receive less pension in old age.

In a student job, you work in companies or as a student assistant at the university. The tasks range from auxiliary work to demanding assignments. These jobs are in demand because they often pay better than mini-jobs and can give you the option of getting a permanent job with the company after you graduate. In principle, you are free to choose how much you want to earn. With the exception of international students, there is no upper limit on how much students can earn in a student job. However, there are limits on income and employment periods for various social benefits and privileges that you or your family are entitled to (e.g. BAföG, child benefit, tax allowances, insurance contributions).

You should be careful if you exceed the standard period of study because of a job. On the one hand, the burden of having a job is not a reason to extend BAföG funding. On the other hand, there is the risk that you have to pay tuition fees as a long-term student.

Job portal for students of the UAS Jena

Find jobs and internships

Current - Part-time job and BAföG

In principle, students can earn up to 5,400 € (gross) per year / 450 € on average per month from a (part-time) job without this being offset against BAföG benefits. BUT: (Additional) income from an activity in system-relevant industries and professions*, insofar as the activity to combat the COVID19 pandemic and its social consequences has been taken up since 1 March 2020 or has been increased in terms of working hours, for the duration of this activity or increase in working hours, will continue** not to be counted as income towards BAföG benefits, section 21(4) no. 5 BAföG. This applies (as of 12/2021) to all income earned until 31/03/2022.

*Which activities belong to system-relevant industries and professions can be found in the Ordinance on the Determination of Critical Infrastructures under the BSI Act (BSI Critical Infrastructure Ordinance - BSI-KritisV) as well as the Executive Notes on Children in Thuringia Covered by Emergency Care in Daycare Facilities.

**The period of validity of this regulation was previously linked to the "determination of the epidemic situation of national scope". In the course of the "Act to amend the Infection Protection Act and other laws on the occasion of the repeal of the determination of the epidemic situation of national scope" of 22.11.2021, this link was removed. The period of validity of section 21(4)(5) BAföG has been extended and now applies to all income earned up to 31.03.2022. A further extension is possible if the pandemic situation so requires.

For financial support you can apply for BAföG (short for Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz). This state support is intended to give everyone - regardless of their social and economic situation - the opportunity to complete their desired studies. The BAföG regulates who can claim aid and if so, how much aid is granted. It consists on the one hand of a repayment-free grant and on the other hand of a non-interest bearing loan. More Information

Current - Part-time job and BAföG

In principle, students can earn up to €5,400 (gross) per year / €450 per month from a (part-time) job without this being offset against BAföG benefits. BUT: (Additional) income from an activity in system-relevant industries and professions*, insofar as the activity to combat the COVID19 pandemic and its social consequences has been taken up since 1 March 2020 or has been increased in terms of working hours, for the duration of this activity or increase in working hours, will continue** not to be counted as income towards BAföG benefits, section 21(4) no. 5 BAföG. This applies (as of 12/2021) to all income earned until 31/03/2022.

*Which activities belong to system-relevant industries and professions can be found in the Ordinance on the Determination of Critical Infrastructures under the BSI Act (BSI Critical Infrastructure Ordinance - BSI-KritisV) as well as the Executive Notes on Children in Thuringia Covered by Emergency Care in Daycare Facilities.

**The period of validity of this regulation was previously linked to the "determination of the epidemic situation of national scope". In the course of the "Act to amend the Infection Protection Act and other laws on the occasion of the repeal of the determination of the epidemic situation of national scope" of 22.11.2021, this link was removed. The period of validity of section 21(4)(5) BAföG has been extended and now applies to all income earned up to 31.03.2022. A further extension is possible if the pandemic situation so requires.

Below you will find a selection of platforms and information on further scholarships.

• Scholarship Plus: This website provides an overview of the 13 scholarships for the gifted supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). All institutions award scholarships to students and doctoral candidates who demonstrate above-average performance, are highly motivated, take on responsibility and are socially committed.

  Overview of the scholarships for the gifted at a glance (orientation, requirements, application deadlines)

   

• Scholarship pilot: With the scholarship pilot, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) offers an interactive platform for finding the right scholarship for you based on your desired criteria. The comprehensive scholarship database can be filtered according to many different criteria, such as training phases, subjects of study or target regions. The scholarship pilot is the central contact point for nationwide and international scholarships in the private and public sector.

• mystipendium.de: The scholarship platform supports students and doctoral candidates free of charge in their search for scholarships. With the help of a matching procedure from a database of more than 2,100 scholarship programmes, each user is only shown the (international) scholarships that fit their own CV.

• DAAD scholarship database: International students can apply for a scholarship at numerous organizations, such as the DAAD, party-affiliated foundations or business-related institutions, which are summarized in the DAAD scholarship database.
• Company scholarships: Even though there is not yet a scholarship culture as developed as in the USA, for example, numerous companies are involved in higher education. Large corporations in particular maintain their own foundations in addition to company-related sponsorship programmes. Company scholarships are generally awarded for subjects that qualify students for work in the company. Many companies often offer non-material support, i.e. the opportunity to gain initial experience in the company alongside your studies. This ranges from attending company workshops to internships or writing a thesis in the company. It should be noted that, depending on the scholarship, participants sometimes commit themselves to working for the company for a few years after graduation. Otherwise, they will have to pay back the funding they received like an interest-free loan if they join another employer immediately after finishing their studies.
• Trailblazer scholarship: idealo internet GmbH awards a full scholarship worth a total of € 9,000 (12 months with € 750 for study support) once a year to students of all courses and semesters with at least one exceptional talent.

According to § 1601 of the German Civil Code, parents are obliged to pay maintenance to their adult children during their studies. There is no fixed age limit for this. The right to maintenance applies to both Bachelor's and Master's studies, provided that there is a connection to the Bachelor's degree in terms of content and time. More information

Student loans Student loans are offered both by the state and privately by various banks (e.g. Deutsche Bank, DKB). Compared to a normal loan, a student loan is not tied to collateral. It is not paid out as a total sum, but in monthly instalments to finance the studies. It is used to finance living expenses and/or tuition fees during the first degree. As with other credit transactions, the loan is repaid with interest and repayment of principal. Well-known student loans are, for example, the DKB Student Education Fund, KfW Student Loan, Future Finance, Sparkasse Education Loans, VR Education Loans of the Volksbanken/Raiffeisenbanken, db Student Loan of Deutsche Bank or Student Loans of the Studentische Darlehenskasse Berlin.

Bildungskredit (end-of-study loan) An education loan refers to a loan for studying that provides financial support for you as a student in advanced stages of your education. In this way you can, for example, finance internships or stays abroad during your studies. The education loan is granted regardless of your own income and assets as well as regardless of your parents' income. It is not tied to collateral and payments are made on a monthly basis. After graduation, the total amount is repaid after a grace period, including interest. Well-known education loans are, for example, the education loan of the KfW, education loan of the BMBF or the micro-credit study aid of the E.W. Kuhlmann Foundation.

Education Fund This is a relatively new, purely private offer (as a fund concept) and pre-finances living expenses, tuition fees and stays abroad for students. Education funds are repaid according to income. A percentage is fixed in advance, which is later repaid to the education fund over a certain period of time from the monthly income after the start of the career. There is no interest or repayment.