Apply for professional advancement training funding
Source: BUS Rheinland-PfalzWith the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegs-BAföG), you can receive financial support to qualify for specialist and management positions or for self-employment. Around 700 advanced training qualifications for higher-qualified vocational training can be funded, for example
- Master craftsperson
- Business administrator
- Technician
- Educator
You can only choose between advanced vocational training courses for which you have the prior vocational qualification.
You can receive support for advanced vocational training in the form of
- Contributions towards the costs of your course
- Contributions towards your living expenses
You can complete the advanced vocational training course full-time or part-time. You can also apply for support for several stages. Your training must be offered by a suitable provider, for example a
- a public provider,
- a state-recognized provider or
- certified provider.
You can receive funding of up to EUR 15,000 for the course and examination fees. Half of this is a grant, the other half is a loan that you have to pay back. If you successfully complete the course, part of the loan can be waived. If you set up your own business, the entire loan can be waived under certain circumstances.
Funding is also available for the practical work you do, for example as part of the master craftsman's examination. You can receive up to half of the necessary material costs incurred, up to a maximum of EUR 2,000, half as a grant and half as a loan.
With the approval of the upgrading training grant, you are entitled to conclude a loan agreement with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Your loan is interest-free and repayment-free for the duration of the training and a subsequent waiting period of 2 years.
You can only apply for contributions towards living expenses if you complete your training full-time. If you are the parent of one or more children, you will receive a higher allowance. Single parents receive a monthly childcare allowance for each child under the age of 14.
If you have other income or assets, these will be taken into account. You must also declare other state benefits, such as unemployment benefit, when you apply. You do not have to pay back maintenance that is paid to you.
If you are a foreign national, you can also receive the upgrading training grant if, for example, you are a
- are a national of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) or
- have certain residence permits or a permanent residence permit or
- have resided in Germany for a total of 3 years and have been gainfully employed.
Funding under the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (AFBG), so-called "Aufstiegs-BAföG" or "Meister-BAföG"
Responsibility
The Office for Training Assistance of the Kusel district administration is responsible for participants in further training who are resident in the district of Kusel at the time of application. This responsibility remains in place during the training course.
Eligible group of persons
In principle, participants in full-time or part-time advanced vocational training measures (including distance learning) are eligible for funding regardless of their age. Participants who are foreign nationals can also receive funding under certain conditions.
Eligibility requirements
In principle, funding is provided for further training measures at public or private institutions which require a qualification in a training occupation recognized under the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) or the Crafts Code (HwO), a comparable professional qualification regulated by federal or state law or other proof of a corresponding professional qualification and which specifically prepares for examinations under public law (e.g. in accordance with BBiG, HwO, federal or state regulations, further training guidelines of the German Hospital Association, at state-recognized supplementary schools). Bachelor's graduates, university drop-outs or high school graduates with professional experience can also receive benefits. Courses at certified providers with an appropriate quality assurance system are eligible for funding. Examples of further training measures under the AFBG are Course to prepare for the master craftsman examination as a painter and varnisher etc., business economist at the business academy, technician in mechanical engineering, banking specialist, industrial specialist, educator etc.
Amount of the benefit
The amount of funding differs for full-time and part-time measures. A maintenance contribution is provided for full-time measures. A contribution to the measure (recognized course and examination fees as well as the recognized costs for a master's certificate/practical work) can also be granted. In the case of part-time measures, only the contribution to the measure can be funded.
Funding for full-time measures is possible taking into account the income and assets of the applicant in the approval period and the income of his/her spouse or registered partner from the penultimate calendar year before the start of the approval period and his/her assets at the time of application. The maintenance contribution is granted as a full grant in the case of approval.
Funding for the contribution to the measure is income and asset neutral. The measure contribution is also divided into a grant and a loan component (50% grant and 50% loan). Any employer reimbursement reduces the funding amount. Benefits for gifted students may also be taken into account.
Masterpiece/practical work
Half of the necessary material costs incurred by the participant, up to a maximum total amount of € 2,000, can be subsidized for the preparation of the practical work in the master craftsman's examination and comparable work in other economic sectors. The remainder can be taken out as a loan.
Approval period
The approval period generally begins with the first day of instruction and ends with the last day of instruction. Depending on the measure, several approval periods may have to be formed or there may be individual sections of the measure (e.g. in the case of the two-year full-time further training to become a technician or the four-year part-time further training to become a technician or the part-time further training to become a master craftsman in parts I - IV). Corresponding follow-up applications must then be submitted.
Start of benefits
In the case of full-time measures, benefits are granted from the first month of the measure, provided that a corresponding application has been submitted. Retroactive granting of benefits is not possible (e.g. start of the measure in August, application in November - start of benefits in November, benefits for the months August to October are lost).
Option
For full-time further education courses at technical colleges which require a completed vocational training course and which are included in the list of training centers of the respective federal state, trainees who have not yet reached the age of 30 can choose between funding under the BAföG or the AFBG.
Application
You can collect or request the relevant application forms from the Kusel District Administration's Office for Training Assistance or download them from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. You can also find explanations and calculation examples on the Federal Ministry's website. Early application is recommended.
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
From August 2016, applications can be submitted using an electronic application form. The application must then be sent to the virtual post office of the Kusel district administration(KV-Kusel@poststelle.rlp.de). The application can also be submitted with a qualified electronic signature.
Legal basis