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

From the interplay of these factors, you can effectively earn up to approx. €6,544 gross in the approval period 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. But watch the numbers:

Key figure2026 valueMini-job limit (monthly)€556Mini-job limit (annual)€6,672BAföG allowance (12 months, gross)approx. €6,544Difference€128 excess when fully used

If you fully use the mini-job every month (€556 × 12 = €6,672), you exceed the BAföG allowance by €128. That sounds small, but it is spread proportionally across all 12 months, meaning approx. €10.67 less BAföG per month.

The safe limit: Earn no more than €545/month in your mini-job. This keeps you below the BAföG allowance and you retain your full BAföG. At an hourly rate of €16, this corresponds to approx. 32 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 above the allowance, with minimal 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 €6,544 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.