For students, in addition to funding from parents, BAfoG or student loans, child benefit in studies serves as income. While the child benefit is paid until the age of 18. If child benefit is generally paid by the child benefit fund after the child’s 25th birthday, it must then be applied for. Those who are already 18 years of age may be eligible for military service until they reach the age of 25. Students can continue to receive child benefit beyond the age of 18. In this case, the entitlement to child benefit is linked to certain conditions. In any case, child benefit is claimed by the parents and paid to them by the child benefit office.
Requirements and evidence for child benefit during studies
As long as the 18. If the student has not yet reached the age of 25, the child benefit office automatically pays the child benefit to the parents. Whether persons of full age are still entitled to a child benefit payment is subject to certain conditions.
If the adult child completes either studies or training, the parents receive child benefit. However, it must be proven that Education and studies seriously pursued are. This is especially true when studying: In addition to the certificate of enrollment, the child benefit office can regularly issue a Proof of services rendered request.
If studies or training last considerably longer than usual, the family benefits office assumes that there is no intention to complete the studies or training. Particularly in areas where there is no regular attendance requirement, the family cash office requires a Proof of activity and success of the student. Among the essential requirements for the child benefit entitlement after the 18. In addition to the age of the child, the Status of the studies or training.
Tip: Child benefit is claimed by the parents. They must prove that their child is studying or undergoing training. Appropriate documents such as the enrollment notice, the required performance records or proof of education must be submitted to the family fund.
Child benefit during studies
Child benefit during studies and age limit
18 years:
Up to this age, child benefits are automatically paid to the parents.
25 years:
While studying or undergoing vocational training, the age limit for child benefit entitlement increases to 25 years of age. As long as the training or studies continue, child benefit will continue to be paid at the parents’ request – until the child reaches the age of 25. If the student is under the age of 18. This also applies if the child is married.
Via the 25. The child is entitled to child benefit beyond the age of 18:
Under certain conditions, the child benefit fund will continue to pay child benefit after the age of 25. Age up to 27. Child benefit for studies over 25 is paid at:
- Disabilities: If the child is disabled and the disability already occurred before the child reached the age of 25, the child is entitled to child benefit. If the child is under the age of 25, the parents receive child benefit from the child benefit fund even after the age of 25. Child benefit after the age of 25.
- military or civilian service: Until 31. June 2011, the receipt of child benefit was extended by the period of military service or civilian service. However, since compulsory military service has been suspended, this entitlement no longer exists.
The amount of child benefit
The exact amount of the child benefit depends on the number of children. For the first and second child receive 192 Euro per month each, from January 2018 it is monthly each 194 euros. For the third child there is 198 euros per month, from January 2018 it is 200 euros per month. From the fourth child onwards, the monthly amount of child benefit is 223 euros, and from January 2018 it will be 225 euros.
If a parent does not receive child benefit for a child because the child lives with the other parent, the child can be treated as a so-called "Zahlkind" apply. The children whose child benefit entitlement has expired are no longer counted.
Tip: Since 1. January 2012, the income limit for child benefit was eliminated without replacement. This means that it is possible to claim child benefit for children from the age of 18. Child benefit can be claimed until the age of 25. If there is a child benefit for the child at the age of 50, regardless of how high the income is. Only the above-mentioned requirements must be met if the parents want to continue to receive child benefits.
Claiming child benefit for adults and students
Claiming child benefit for studies – this is how it works
Parents receive the child benefit regardless of how much they earn. However, the Child benefit after reaching the age of 18. Child benefit is no longer automatically paid every month until the child reaches the age of 18, but must be applied for at the Familienkasse.
The Familienkasse is part of the Agentur fur Arbeit (employment agency). The application for child benefit after the 18. The application form can be downloaded, printed and filled out online. Another option is to apply for the necessary forms directly at the family benefits office. In addition to the child benefit claim Certificate of enrollment or. Certificate of study, certificate of training and any certificates of achievement to be submitted for the studies – and for each semester.
Child benefit for studies and training
As long as the child is studying and has not yet reached the age of 25, the child benefit fund will usually pay child benefit without any problems when the child is studying. For this, the application must be made and the requirements must be met. However only for the first education and not for second studies or further education. In the case of a second education, the requirements are much stricter. It is often not clear whether further education is part of the initial education or is considered a second education. Here, the courts often have to make a decision.
Child benefit entitlement for bachelor’s and master’s degree
Since the 2012 child benefit reform, the child benefit office differentiates between first and second education. The successful completion of a bachelor’s degree counts as the first vocational training for the child benefit office. So that the entitlement to child benefit ends after graduation.
Those who wish to complete further studies and obtain their Master’s degree are therefore not entitled to child benefits. However, there are ongoing court cases to clarify the quality and necessity of a master’s degree. If it is a second education or if the master’s degree is part of a study program that is completed in several stages? Whether child benefit continues to be paid in a master’s degree program depends on the clarification of this question in court.
Tip: Entitlement to child benefit is not linked to the length of the period of study. If the requirements such as age are met, the family benefits office will pay the child benefit beyond the standard period of study.
Can child benefit be refused during studies?
The training or the studies must be pursued with seriousness, so that no problems arise with the receipt of child benefit. In addition, the entitlement applies only to the first education. If the application for child benefit is made for a two-study program, it is rejected in most cases.
Students are entitled to child benefit during their studies – under specific conditions,
Child benefit after completion of education
As long as the child has not reached the age of 25. If the child has not yet reached the age of 18, the parents may after graduation continues to receive child benefit receive. This is interesting if the student does not immediately find employment after successfully completing vocational training. In this case the graduate may do not work more than twenty hours per week.
If the working time exceeds this number of hours, the child benefit fund will stop the payment of child benefits. In the case of harmless income, the child benefit office will continue to pay child benefit after the end of the studies.
Harmless income that does not affect the payment of child benefits:
- 450-euro jobs
- marginal employment
- short-term employment
For these jobs, the weekly working hours should not exceed twenty hours:
- the year of recognition that future educators must complete
- a traineeship
- an internship, which is mandatory after the studies
- a traineeship
- The preparation of the 2. state examination in law
- a training relationship according to BBiG
- a part-time course of study
- a dual course of study
- the employment relationship with professional soldiers
- the employment relationship in the case of candidates for civil servant status
Child benefit during a semester of leave
Is there an entitlement to child benefit in the case of a leave of absence from studies??
In principle, there is no entitlement to child benefits if the student decides to take a sabbatical or interruption period. Despite a leave of absence, it is possible under certain conditions to continue to receive child benefit while studying. This is the case, for example, if the illness the case due to which the student has to interrupt his studies. During such a leave of absence, the child benefit can be maintained with the help of an application.
Tip: The entitlement to child benefit also remains if the semester of leave is used to complete a study-related internship is used. In this case, the leave of absence counts as a practical semester.
Entitlement to child benefit during a transitional or waiting period
If a transitional period must be bridged until studies, in the case of a waiting list, the cancellation of a course of studies or if studies are discontinued, there is still an entitlement to child benefit. However, this is only valid for a period of four months. Then training must be resumed.
Tip: Child benefit is also paid between studies and legal clerkship, if all other conditions are met. All receipts and documents must be submitted for this after the studies prior to the legal clerkship.
Child benefit as a student abroad
Studying abroad considerably jeopardizes the entitlement to child benefit. In most cases, the family benefits office will cancel the child benefit assessment. However, if the child maintains residence in the country and considers the parental home as his or her own, it is possible to continue to receive child benefit.
BAfoG and child benefit
Does child benefit count as income for students?
BAfoG and child benefit can be received at the same time during studies. Because the Federal Office of Administration does not count the child benefit as part of the student’s income. If all other requirements are met, there is no need to worry about BAfoG deductions.
Part-time job and child benefit during studies
If BAfoG, parental support and child benefit are not sufficient during studies, students may have to earn money during their studies. This must not jeopardize the success of the studies. If you work too much, it is possible that the entitlement to child benefit will expire.
What is the income limit for a part-time job during studies??
In principle, there is no earnings limit for a student job. The job should be twenty hours maximum During the week amount. As long as the number of working hours is not significantly exceeded, two jobs can be combined with each other. It only depends on the total weekly working time. If, for example, less work is done during the lecture period, the weekly working hours may be longer during the semester break.
Tip: Whether the weekly working hours actually have a detrimental effect on the payment of child benefits is only checked by the child benefit office at the end of the approval period. If the weekly working time exceeds the maximum, the child allowance is reduced by the time during which the working time was too high. Those who plan their working hours with foresight here and always have an overview will avoid a reduction in child benefits.
Repayment of child benefit
In some cases the family fund insists on a repayment of the child allowance. This is the case if false information was provided during the application process and this is later discovered by the family benefits office.
Parents do not have to repay the child benefit if the studies are discontinued. However, this only applies if the student is about to start a new education or training program. to take up studies.
Student loan as an alternative to child benefit during studies
If the entitlement to child benefit has expired, studies can be financed by means of a student loan. There are various banks and providers that have a special loan for students in their portfolio. The student loan from the state-owned K Bank, which can be arranged through the student union or the family bank, is among them. However, there are some conditions attached to the loan from the K bank. A comparison of online providers can be worthwhile, because here the conditions are limited to a minimum.
Other alternatives to finance your studies
Education loan: The education loan is offered by the Federal Office of Administration. There you will also find all the information about the access requirements, the amount of the education loan and the conditions for repayment.
Education FundThe money from an education fund can be used to finance the costs of daily maintenance, tuition fees or a stay abroad. Foundations, private investors and companies invest in the education fund. If the student wants to participate in this, he or she must apply in the same way as for a scholarship.
Tip: An unusual way to finance one’s studies is the "bad grades" scholarship from Vexcash. Here, students are supported whose performance is weakening due to work and private life.
Tuition fee loan: This loan is offered by some state banks. This can be used to pay the tuition fees due: The university receives the money directly from the banks in the process. The individual conditions depend on the federal state in which the state bank is located.
Tax tips on child benefit for students
If the 25. If the student reaches the age of 18, no child benefit is paid even if the student has not completed his or her education. If parents then help their children financially, they can claim these payments for tax purposes. Those who pay child support or support their children with money during their professional training can claim these expenses as extraordinary burdens in their tax return.
The same applies to grandparents, if they financially support their grandchildren in their studies or education. However, the student’s entitlement to child benefit must have expired at this time. The tax office wants proof that the student cannot finance himself/herself sufficiently through work and income.