Will my assets be taken into consideration when determining by eligibility to receive BAföG?
Yes, all assets that exceed a value of 7,500 EUR at the time of application will be counted against your BAföG eligibility. The exempt amount goes up by 2,100 EUR if you have a spouse / civil partner and per child.
All assets will be taken into account that are of value and are in the possession or ownership of the applicant. But also assets that the applicant has under private law and that thus contradict the purpose the law seeks to achieve by taking assets into account will be counted against the applicant’s BAföG eligibility as assets obtained through abuse of the law.
Generally, all movable and immovable goods, claims, and rights are considered assets. This may include for example
- Claims against third parties (e.g. from loan contracts, credit balances from the building society savings, current account holdings, securities);
- Cash;
- Property and business assets;
- Rights equivalent to real property such as heritable building rights, home ownership, leaseholds;
- Publishing rights and intellectual property rights;
- Business shares;
- Coin collections;
- Vehicles (e.g. cars, motorcycles, etc.).
Excepted from this are goods that cannot be realized for legal reason (e.g. due to an effectively appointed lien or seizure of goods by way of foreclosure). Assets frozen due to opening of bankruptcy are also excluded. By contrast, while some charges, e.g. due to beneficial use, result in a reduction in value, they are not considered frozen assets.
Rights to pensions and recurrent benefits are not considered assets. Transitional aid as per §§ 12 and 13 of the Military Pensions Act (SVG) is also not counted as an asset. However, transitional benefits as per § 11, 11 a SVG are ongoing benefits necessary to cover the cost of living (subsistence) during the transitional period and thus count as income from non-independent work. Basic goods necessary for daily life (household objects) are also not assets.
The applicant must supply complete and correct information in the application. The assets listed are subject to being checked against data in cooperation with the German Federal Central Tax Office.