BAföG and Side Jobs 2026: What You Need to Know

BAföG Allowance 2026 in Detail

The legal basis for the income allowance is found in § 23 Para. 1 BAföG. This stipulates that students are allowed to keep a certain portion of their income without it being offset against their BAföG entitlement.

The figures for 2026

• Basic allowance: €330/month or €3,960 over the 12-month approval period
• Work-related expenses flat rate: €1,230/year (automatically deducted)
• Social insurance flat rate: 21.3% of gross income

Since 2026, the allowance is also coupled to the mini-job limit: you can earn up to €7,236 gross in the approval period (€603/month) without risking BAföG reductions.

Mind the approval period

The BAföG office always looks at the entire approval period (usually 12 months, e.g. October to September). It is not the individual month that counts, but the total income in the period. You can earn more in some months as long as you stay below the allowance overall.

BAföG + mini-job, does it work?

A mini-job is the most popular side job for BAföG recipients, and generally a good combination. The numbers at a glance:

Key figure2026 valueMini-job limit (monthly)€603Mini-job limit (annual)€7,236BAföG allowance (12 months, gross)€7,236DifferenceNone, both limits have been coupled since 2026

If you fully use the mini-job every month (€603 × 12 = €7,236), you stay exactly within the BAföG allowance. Since 2026, the allowance is coupled to the mini-job limit, so a fully used mini-job no longer leads to a reduction of your BAföG.

The good news: You can earn the full €603/month in your mini-job and still keep your full BAföG. At an hourly rate of €16, this corresponds to approx. 37.7 hours per month.

BAföG + student job (Werkstudent), possible, but plan carefully

As a student employee, you often earn significantly more than in a mini-job. You just need to plan your income carefully to avoid exceeding the BAföG allowance by too much.

Strategic options

• Work fewer hours: at 8 h/week × €16/h you reach approx. €590/month, just below the allowance, with no BAföG offset.
• Work only during semester breaks: earn intensively in 3–4 months and hold back during term time.
• Use short-term employment: work as a short-term employee during the holidays, same BAföG treatment, but no social contributions.

What is offset against BAföG?

The BAföG office does not simply offset your gross income. Instead:

1. Determine gross income during the approval period
2. Deduct work-related expenses flat rate: €1,230/year
3. Deduct social insurance flat rate: 21.3% of the remaining amount
4. Deduct the allowance: €3,960 (€330 × 12 months) plus any increases for children
5. Remaining amount: distributed equally across the months and deducted from BAföG

What counts as income?

• Wages and salary (gross)
• Christmas and holiday bonuses
• One-off payments and bonuses
• Income from self-employment
• Not counted: BAföG itself, child benefit, scholarships up to €300/month

Practical tips

1. Know your approval period: note the exact dates. Everything that falls within this period counts.
2. Plan annually: stay below €7,236 gross in total.
3. Use semester breaks: the BAföG office only looks at the annual total.
4. Collect work-related expenses: if your expenses exceed €1,230 (e.g. commuting costs), you can claim these.
5. Inform the BAföG office: register your side job. If you fail to do so and earn too much, repayment demands may follow.
6. Choose shifts flexibly: at ucm, you choose your shifts via the app.