Corona-FAQ

No, as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research announced by decree, the postponement of the start of lectures will in no way affect the BAföG entitlement. Students (regardless of whether they are in their first semester or are already receiving funding) do not currently have to fear that they will not receive any money in or for the month of April 2020. Self-study and online courses also count as study activities. It is important that you submit your BAföG application by April 2020 at the latest, unless you have already received a BAföG notification for the summer semester 2020. If you have any further questions, please contact the Financial Support Agency at bafoeg@sw-ka.de.

If your parents earn less, for example because of short-time work, your chances of receiving BAföG funding or a higher BAföG funding are greater.

Case constellation 1:
If you have not received a BAföG due to the parental income, but your parents now earn less, you can apply for a new BAföG at any time and with an update the current parental income counts.

Case constellation 2:
If you already receive BAföG, but your parents' income is currently lower (e.g. due to short-time work), you can apply for a BAföG update and our office will check the amount of your current entitlement.

Note: if you have any further questions, please contact the Financial Support Agency at bafoeg@sw-ka.de.

Yes, if your parents remain economically productive; otherwise you may be entitled to BAföG. Self-study (reading specialist literature, researching and writing homework etc.) or studying online also count as a study activity, especially in the current situation.

Your parents will also have to accept delays and interruptions in your studies and the associated extension of the maintenance payments. In the event of delays and interruptions, we must analyse the cases individually, in particular whether there are special reasons for delay that are worthy of recognition. In the current situation, which is completely unpredictable for everyone, a study delay based on official measures, has completely no fault of its own. However, you should use the extended lecture-free period as time for your self-study.

Attention: During a vacation semesters - which are a break from your studies – you are not elligble for BAföG because you are just not studying! Please be sure to find out before submitting an application for a vacations semester what are the consequences regarding your finances. You can contact the Social Counselling of the Studierendenwerk regarding the requirement for receiving benefits under the Social Security Code II (basic provision, "Hartz IV") during the vacation semester. Important note: A vacation semester is not studying; you are not allowed to complete any academic achievements during the vacation semester.

Not automatically. Those who currently have no income due to job loss or lack of wages are not automatically entitled to claim housing benefits. The basic requirement, which includes a BAföG rejection and the examination of the coverage of the monthly living expenses, remains. In short: the eligibility requirements for housing benefit remain the same.

No, you are currently not generally entitled to unemployment benefits II.
Full-time students are generally excluded from benefits under SGB II.

There are exceptions only in a few cases, for example:

• During a vacation semester due to pregnancy / raising children or on leave of absence due to own illness / impairment. It is important that no academic achievements be completed during the leave of absence; otherwise, the unemployment benefits II are endangered and can be reclaimed. In addition, there are also other requirements. You can discuss whether you are entitled unemployment benefits II with the Social counselling of the Studierendenwerk.
• In cases of hardship, for example in the event of a loss of financing through no fault of their own and far advanced studies, benefits may be granted as loans pursuant to § 27 para. 3 SGB II. This will be checked by the Jobcenter.
• Additional entitlements for certain beneficiaries according to § 21 SGB II; this applies, for example, to students with children or students with disabilities

The Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe operates its own free Job Board. Please note: There are currently areas that have increased personnel requirements. Try to actively apply here:

• Delivery services for food and beverages
• Supermarkets, grocery stores
• Logistics
• Cleaning companies
• Harvest helpers: www.daslandhilft.de

No. Job-seeking students are exempt from health, nursing and unemployment insurance. It follows that those who do not pay into unemployment insurance cannot get short-time benefits.

Here we have to go back a bit: The Infection Protection Act (IfSG) enables very drastic measures to contain the spread of infectious diseases and to facilitate their treatment. Measures can be, for example, bans on activities or quarantine measures. Concrete official prohibitions on activities or officially ordered quarantine measures against a person who in individual cases poses a risk of infection can trigger a claim for compensation under the Infection Protection Act (IfSG).

However, beware: voluntary quarantine, for example, does not trigger compensation claims. According to Section 56 (2) IfSG, the compensation is calculated from the amount of lost earnings. For the first six weeks, the compensation is for the lost earnings. From the beginning of the seventh week onwards, the amount of sickness benefit is granted in accordance with Section 47 (1) of the Fifth Book of the Social Code, if the loss of earnings does not exceed the annual wage limit applicable to statutory health insurance.

In the case of the self-employed, the compensation amounts to 1/12 of the monthly earned net income (average of the last year before stopping the prohibited activity). Self-employed persons who are at risk of existence as a result of a measure under the IfSG can be reimbursed to an appropriate extent by the competent authority for any additional expenses incurred during the lost earnings periods. Should the company have to close, additional compensation will be provided for the duration of the measure according to the IfSG for the operating expenses that are not covered during this period to an appropriate extent.

Compensation is only available on application and the application deadlines are very short! Applications must be submitted to the competent authority within three months of the cessation of the prohibited activity or the end of the segregation (quarantine).

Contact immediately your health insurance company, your apartment rental company, your cell phone contractor, the radio license fee etc. if you are currently unable to make payments. Ask for a deferral of your contributions and, if necessary, a dunning block. If you can, you should ask about a reduced fee. If you live in a student residence of the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe, please also note the FAQ of the Housing department.

It is best to contact the Social Counselling f the Studierendenwerk. You can also find other options here.

Get different offers and compare them carefully. Pay attention to the requirements for a student loan from the respective provider, the processing fees, the interest rate and repayment modalities. It is important to see the total repayment amount of the loan in different repayment constellations before concluding the contract. You should also be well informed about any additional costs that may arise.

Anyone who is involved in the fight against the current corona pandemic in health care, in social institutions or in agriculture will only receive additional earnings for the time they are working.
This income is only consider in the calculation for BAföG during the months in which the BAföG-funded persons earn an income from the fight against pandemic.
All information here: https://www.bmbf.de/de/karliczek-bafoeg-anspruch-bleibt-bei-engagement-gegen-corona-pandemie-erhalten-10653.html