How do I reconcile studying and having a child? And how do I finance my studies with a family? Student parents are faced with complex questions. Balancing a child, studies and, as a rule, a part-time job is a triple burden. Student parents need strong nerves - and help. The good news is that student parents are not alone. There is a wide range of support services that they can take advantage of. We will be happy to advise and inform you professionally, quickly and straightforwardly on all questions relating to the topic of "studying with a child".
We are familiar with:
- Social benefits (parental allowance, child benefit, citizen's benefit, mother-child foundation)
- Special regulations (leave of absence, exams, BAföG extension)
- Childcare options
If you are pregnant and/or taking care of your child, you can take a leave of absence from your studies. During this time, however, you will not receive BAföG! If a student is prevented from completing her studies due to pregnancy or illness, BAföG will be paid for up to three months, whereby only full months are counted. However, if the interruption of your studies lasts longer, you usually have to pay back the BAföG for that semester.
Leave of absence is only permitted for full semesters per course of study and usually only for a maximum of two consecutive semesters. For a leave of absence of more than four semesters during the duration of studies in a degree program, important reasons must be proven. This includes pregnancy and the care of small children.
You must apply for a leave of absence at the Enrollment Office / Student Secretariat of your university. You will need a copy of your maternity passport for the date of birth and, if you already have one, your birth certificate. You should submit the application within the re-registration deadlines or no later than four weeks after the start of the semester. You can find the necessary forms on the website of your university.
If you have to postpone or repeat exams, you should inform the respective examination office.
If you have problems with exams due to pregnancy, childbirth, or raising children, you should definitely report this to the examination office at your university. The extent to which your problems are taken into account is decided by the respective examination boards.
If you are pregnant or raising children, you should submit a written application to the enrollment office or student secretariat of your university immediately if you have problems with admission, missing exams, withdrawing from exams, final exams and free attempts. However, it is best to get advice from our social counseling service beforehand.
Your maternity leave begins six weeks before your baby's expected due date. You can continue studying until then if you have the "OK" from your doctor.
Maternity leave lasts until eight weeks after your baby is born. Only then can you continue studying as usual. Revocation is possible at any time, but not for exams that have already been taken.
You should not have any disadvantages in exams due to your pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. Therefore, they should be compensated, for example, by alternative dates for taking exams.
A revocation of the declaration to the university that you want to continue your studies despite maternity leave is only possible before the examination. If exams are cancelled, the general regulations of the universities apply analogously, as in the case of illnesses.
There are exceptions to employment/training prohibitions for female students: You may also attend your educational institution between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Sundays and holidays if
- you have expressly declared this wish to the university.
- your attendance is necessary for the training.
- no irresponsible danger arises from working alone.
For more information, visit the family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and its brochure Leitfaden Mutterschutz (Maternity Protection Guide).
And if you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to advise you!
The parents are entitled to 14 months of basic parental allowance. They are free to divide the months between themselves. One parent can claim a minimum of two months and a maximum of 12 months. Single parents can claim 14 months. Studying does not count as gainful employment for the purposes of parental allowance.
The parents are entitled to 14 months of basic parental allowance together. They are free to divide the months between themselves. One parent can claim a minimum of two months and a maximum of 12 months. Single parents can claim 14 months. Studying does not count as gainful employment for the purposes of parental allowance.
The amount of the parental allowance is a minimum of 300 euros and a maximum of 1,800 euros. It is calculated on the basis of the income from employment that ceases after the birth.
- Income replacement rate of 65 % for income above 1,200 euros,
- Income replacement rate of 67% for income between 1,000 euros and 1,200 euros,
- Gradually increasing income replacement rate from 67% to up to 100% for incomes between 999 euros and 301 euros.
Parents who do not work also receive parental allowance in the amount of the so-called basic amount of 300 euros. This base amount of 300 euros is offset against unemployment benefit II, social assistance and child supplement. The payment can be extended to twice the term with a halving of the payment amount.
Maternity benefits after the birth of the child (in particular maternity allowance from the statutory health insurance and the employer's allowance) are fully offset against the parental allowance.
Parental allowance plus is an additional variant of parental allowance that better rewards the early return to work after the birth of a child.
Those who receive ElterngeldPlus receive only half of the regular parental allowance. However, the period during which the family receives support is twice as long, up to 24 months, and thus extends beyond the child's 14th month of life.
As with parental allowance, parental allowance plus allows up to 32 hours of work per week.
With the partnership bonus, each parent receives another two to four months of ElterngeldPlus. The prerequisite is that both parents take care of the children and work between 24 and 32 hours a week in parallel for at least four months.
Single parents who meet the eligibility requirements may also be entitled to ElterngeldPlus and/or the partnership bonus.
Detailed information is available on the family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs.
You can find out which authority is responsible for you from the administration of your municipality of residence. For applicants living in the city of Hanover, this is the parental allowance office of the state capital Hanover.
You can find detailed information about receiving parental allowance, eligibility, sibling bonus, ElterngeldPlus, and how to apply, as well as a parental allowance calculator, on the family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth. In addition, the ministry's brochure Elterngeld, ElterngeldPlus und Elternzeit provides detailed information on the topic.
Parental leave is defined by the Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act (Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz, BEEG) as a period of unpaid leave from work after the birth of a child. Employees have a legal right to this leave. Parental leave can be taken independently of parental allowance. You can find all information on parental leave at familienportal.de.
Child benefit is available to student parents who have their habitual residence in Germany. The most important information and especially the amount of child benefit can be found in the section Child Benefit for Students on our homepage.
Detailed information on child benefits, eligibility and application procedures can be found in the leaflet on child benefits published by the Federal Central Tax Office (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern).
The application for child benefit is submitted to the responsible family office at the employment agency. Students who work in the public sector submit the application to their employer.
For information on the child benefit that students or their parents receive, see the Child Benefit for Students section of our website.
In principle, students are excluded from receiving Citizen's benefit, because they are in an education that is eligible for BAföG support.
However, this does not apply to the children of students. They have an independent claim to social benefits.
Despite the general exclusion of benefits, there are situations in which students can still receive benefits.
Citizen's benefit is made up of the standard benefits, any additional needs that may have to be met and the reasonable costs of accommodation (rent + ancillary costs + heating).
You are entitled to Citizen's benefit in full during your leave of absence if the employment agency determines that you are in need.
The employment agency checks
- whether you can be required to work. From the age of three, you can be required to work, provided that childcare is available.
- Whether your parents or your partner can be required to pay maintenance. Your parents cannot be required to pay child support if you are currently pregnant, if you are caring for your own child up to the age of six, if you have completed your initial education, or if you are over 25 years old.
In cases of special hardship, Citizen's benefit can be granted, but then only as a loan. If, for example, you lose your entitlement to BAföG shortly before the end of your studies and cannot work additionally due to pregnancy or raising children and have not yet completed vocational training, you can apply for benefits on a loan basis in accordance with the hardship regulation.
In the case of non-training-related needs, for example pregnancy or single parenthood, there is an additional need. This amounts to
- from the 13th week of pregnancy 17% of the standard benefit of Citizen's benefit. - for single parents with one child under the age of seven or two or more children under the age of 16, 36% of the standard benefit. - for single parents with one child over seven or more children, if only one of them is over seven and the others are over 16 but under 18, 12 % of the standard benefit per child.
You can claim additional needs if your income is not or only slightly above the BAföG maximum rate.
One-time allowances are only granted in connection with
- Initial equipment for the dwelling including household appliances,
- initial equipment for clothing, including in the case of pregnancy and childbirth, and
- school trips lasting several days within the framework of school law.
You will also receive these benefits if you do not receive benefits to ensure your livelihood, including reasonable accommodation and heating costs, but you are unable to cover the full amount of your needs from your own resources. In this case, the income you earn within up to six months after the end of the month in which the decision to pay the assistance was made can be taken into account.
You can find more information about Citizen's benefit on the homepage of the employment agency.
If you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to help you!
If you are able to cover your own needs with your own income or assets, but not those of your children, you can apply for a child supplement of up to 205 euros per month. This is paid if it prevents you from receiving unemployment benefit II or social benefit.
With the exception of child benefit and housing allowance, the child's income and assets are counted towards the child supplement. Housing allowance is not taken into account when calculating the parents' income.
If you receive the child supplement, you can also receive benefits for education and participation for your children. As a rule, the supplement is paid to the parent who also applied for the child benefit. It is paid for a child until the child reaches the age of 25 at the latest.
The child supplement must be applied for separately in writing at the family benefits office. Application forms are available from the family benefits office of the employment agency or at www.arbeitsagentur.de/familie-und-kinder.
You can also find more information about eligibility, types of income that do not count toward the child supplement, and a child supplement calculator on the family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth or in the ministry's fact sheet on child supp lements.
And if you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to help you!
Social benefit is a partial benefit of citizen's benefit. Even though students are usually excluded from citizen's benefit, children of students who have not yet reached the age of 15 can receive social benefit if their livelihood is not otherwise secured. From the age of 15, children have their own entitlement to citizen's benefit.
When applying for social benefits at the employment agency, the child's needs are first calculated. According to the regulations of SGB II, this is made up of the so-called standard rate and proportional housing costs. In the subsequent income calculation, the child's income (child benefit, alimony or advance on alimony) and surplus parental income are offset against the child's need. When determining parental income, the BAföG maximum rate is taken as the so-called education-related need plus any additional needs due to pregnancy or single parenthood as student need. The income in excess of these needs is therefore offset against the social benefit to be paid out.
Exceeding child income may only be offset against the needs of the other members of the community of need up to the amount of the child allowance.
The homepage of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs provides further information on social benefits.
And if you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to help you!
If you receive unemployment benefit II, social assistance, child supplement, housing benefit or asylum seeker benefits, you are entitled to education and participation benefits. If your household only has a low income and you do not receive basic benefits, you can have a general claim checked at the job center.
These include one-day excursions and school trips lasting several days, 150 euros per year for school supplies, a subsidy for travel costs for students to school, appropriate learning support, a subsidy for lunch at school and daycare, and benefits for participation in social and cultural life in the community.
If you receive unemployment benefit II or social welfare benefit, you can apply for these benefits at the relevant job center. Recipients of social assistance should contact the municipal social welfare office. If you receive housing allowance or child supplement, apply to the local housing allowance office or the family benefits office.
You can find more information on the family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
And if you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to help!
Housing allowance is a state rent subsidy intended to enable people with low incomes to live in an appropriate apartment. Those who receive BAföG are usually not entitled to housing allowance. But: BAföG recipients can receive housing allowance if their child is entitled to housing allowance. In this case, the rent portion is deducted from the BAföG. However, if the child is receiving social benefits and the parents are receiving BAföG, no housing allowance will be paid.
You can find more information in the "Money" section of our homepage under Wohngeld.
And if you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to help you!
Pregnant women who are gainfully employed and have health insurance are entitled to maternity benefits during periods of absence due to pregnancy and childbirth in accordance with the provisions of the Maternity Protection Act. This applies to both legally and privately insured women. More information is available on the family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
And if you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to help!
The Federal Foundation "Mother and Child - Protection of Unborn Life" supports needy pregnant women with one-time benefits that are not already covered under other social benefits. There is no legal entitlement to assistance.
The prerequisite for assistance is that the counseling and application must take place in a pregnancy counseling center and that there is a financial need.
Possible financial aid depends on the individual need, for example, aid for basic baby equipment, baby's changing unit, baby's bedding, costs of finding a place to live and for furnishing or renovating a home or a baby carriage.
If you want to take advantage of this assistance, contact a pregnancy counseling center and apply there.
For more information on the goals of the foundation, the type and scope of possible funding, and how to apply, visit the website of the Federal Foundation Mother and Child.
In addition to the federal foundation, Lower Saxony also has a state foundation called "Family in Need. There is no legal entitlement to assistance from this foundation either.
Priority is given to
- single pregnant women
- single mothers and fathers;
- Families with at least three children who have their primary residence or habitual abode in Lower Saxony.
The foundation awards both interest-free loans and grants.
Eligibility requirements are application and counseling at a social counseling center and credible proof of acute financial hardship that has occurred through no fault of one's own, such as unemployment, pregnancy and birth of a child, illness, divorce or separation, or a death in the family.
If the requirements for support from the Federal Foundation "Mother and Child" are fulfilled when the application is submitted, this will be given priority. Support cannot be received from both foundations at the same time for the same expense.
Further information about the foundation, the type and scope of assistance and how to apply can be found on the homepage of the Lower Saxony Ministry for Social Affairs, Health and Equality.
Childcare supplement
For trainees who live in a household with at least one child of their own who has not yet reached the age of 14, the requirements rate is increased by €150 per month for each child. The supplement is paid on application as a lump sum until the end of the grant period without proof of corresponding childcare costs.
Own children are only "bodily descendants" or children adopted by adoption.
The childcare supplement is granted to only one parent for the same period. If both parents are eligible for support according to the BAföG and live in the same household, they decide between themselves who receives the childcare supplement. This means that the other parent must declare on Attachment 2 to Form 1 that he or she does not receive or has applied for the supplement and that he or she agrees to the payment to the applicant trainee(s).
The childcare supplement is not excluded by the receipt of benefits under the Federal Parental Benefits Act or other social benefits. The childcare supplement is also not counted as income against other social benefits.
The childcare supplement is granted as a subsidy that does not have to be repaid (even if the other support is only provided as an interest-bearing bank loan), and income and assets are only counted as subordinate to it.
Other arrangements
In the case of students who are raising their own children under the age of 14 when they reach the age of 30 (or 35 in the case of master's degree programs) and are only gainfully employed to a limited extent, the age limit for BAföG may be postponed until the time when the children reach the age of 14.
Pregnancy and child rearing allow for an extension of support beyond the maximum support period if these are the cause of the delay in completing the training - and in full as a grant that does not have to be repaid:
- for pregnancy: 1 semester,
- until the child reaches the age of 5: 1 semester per year of life,
- for the 6th and 7th year of life: 1 semester in total,
- for the 8th to 10th year of life: 1 semester in total
- for the 11th to 14th year of life: 1 semester in total.
This benefit can be divided between both student parents. In this case, the parents must provide a statement of how child care was divided between them. In addition, children are taken into account both in the calculation of BAföG and in the repayment by granting certain allowances.
If you are considering taking a leave of absence due to pregnancy, childbirth or child rearing, you should note that you are not entitled to BAföG during a leave of absence. If a student is prevented from completing her studies as a result of pregnancy or illness, educational assistance will be provided for up to three months. However, if the interruption lasts longer, BAföG must usually be repaid for that semester.
Both parents are liable to support their child. In the case of separated parents, the parent with whom the child lives fulfills the obligation to support the child by caring for and raising the child, while the other parent is obligated to support the child in cash. The income of the person liable for maintenance and the age of the child are the basis for the calculation.
Child support advance
If you are raising your child alone and the other parent does not pay any or too little maintenance, you can apply for maintenance advance until your child reaches the age of 18.
There are special regulations for single parents and their children who are dependent on unemployment benefits II.
The entitlement for children between the ages of 12 and 18 takes effect if the child is not dependent on benefits from the job center or if the single parent earns his or her own gross income of at least 600 euros while receiving unemployment benefit II.
An entitlement to advance maintenance payments is excluded if
- both parents (married or not) live together,
- the single parent remarries,
- the single parent is not willing to cooperate in establishing paternity and/or the whereabouts of the other parent, or
- the other parent pays maintenance at least in the amount of the applicable standard amount.
If the parent liable to pay maintenance has only a low income, he or she is only liable to pay up to the limit of the so-called deductible. The deductible is the amount that should remain for the person obliged to pay maintenance to cover his or her own maintenance.
You can find more detailed information about this at the following offices, where the advance on maintenance payments can also be applied for:
- Residents of the state capital Hannover should contact the Youth and Family Department of the state capital Hannover.
- Residents of the region (outside the city of Hanover) should contact the Youth Department of the Hanover Region.
If advance maintenance payments are made, the state makes advance payments. The child's maintenance claims against the parent liable for maintenance are thus transferred to the state for this period. If the parent liable for maintenance is unable to pay through no fault of his or her own, he or she may be exempted from repayment of the advance maintenance payment. This applies in particular to periods of education. However, there is no clear regulation on this, it is rather a matter of discretion.
You can find more information on this topic on the website of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
And if you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to help!
If you take care of your children and cannot work for this reason, you are entitled to childcare maintenance from the other parent until the third year after the birth.
After that, you can claim maintenance if you cannot pursue any other employment (gainful employment and/or studies) in addition to caring for and looking after your child.
Thus, if you are on leave and have a child under the age of three, you can claim a maintenance payment for yourself from the other parent because you are spending your full time caring for the child.
However, if you continue to study after the birth, you cannot claim maintenance from the other parent.
In the event of separation or divorce, maintenance obligations may also apply beyond this point.
If you have any further questions, our social counseling service will be happy to help you!
With the MensaCard Kids, children of students between the ages of ten months andtwelve years can get a free hot lunch or dinner every day.
The meal for the child is only available if you are a student parent and at the same time buy a full meal for yourself (at least at the price of the cheapest dish from the "Pasta & Friends" line).
All children between the ages of ten months and twelve years with at least one parent who is a student at a university served by the Studentenwerk Hannover:
- Leibniz University Hannover
- Hannover Medical School (see also "MensaCard Kids at the MHH" below)
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
- Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media
- Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts
- Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts
The MensaCard Kids is available in the main cafeteria, Callinstraße 23, at the MensaCard counter in the foyer or, if the way to the main cafeteria is too far, in the cafeteria you use.
For the issuance at the MensaCard counter in the main cafeteria you need your
- student ID or a certificate of enrollment and your child's birth
- birth certificate of your child and give your address.
- address.
Afterwards, you can take the MensaCard Kids with you.
When you go to another Mensa, you have to hand in copies of your student ID or your I-certificate as well as the birth certificate and give your address. A few days later you can pick up your MensaCard Kids at the same cafeteria.
Because the Mensa at the Hannover Medical School is not operated by the Studentenwerk Hannover, there is a special arrangement here.
Students at the Medical School can get a meal for their children for up to 4.10 euros in the MHH canteen if they also buy a main course themselves.
The MensaCard Kids at MHH, which is funded by the Hannover Student Union, can be picked up at the MHH Equal Opportunity Office Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. The card is not transferable.
Cash payment or remaining money refund is not possible. However, if the meal costs more than 4.10 euros, the missing amount can be paid in cash at cash desk 1 in the Mensa.
It is not always easy to reconcile studying and raising children. Who will look after the child during lectures? How do you even get a childcare place? Are there daycare centers near the university and what are the costs involved? Is there support for financing?
We have an overview of municipal childcare services, student parent groups, the emergency service "Fluxx" and childcare subsidies from the Studentenwerk.
Day care centers care for children in
- day nurseries / crèches (up to the age of three)
- Kindergarten groups (three years to school age)
- after-school care (school enrollment until the child reaches the age of fourteen)
Attention: It is not easy to get a place in a day care center. Children must be registered early!
More information about childcare places can be found at hannover.de, page Advice and Placement for Childcare.
Costs of daycare centers
In Lower Saxony, daycare attendance is free of charge for children over the age of three. This applies to care for up to eight hours a day. For children under the age of three, fees are generally staggered. In Hanover, the childcare fee is based on the type of childcare and the parents' income. Parents with low income (this can also be BAföG or maintenance payments) and recipients of benefits for basic security for job seekers (ALG II) can receive a free place.
Important to know: For children who also eat lunch at the facility, a monthly meal fee of 30 euros must be paid in Hannover in addition to the fee, regardless of income.
It is particularly difficult to find childcare for children under the age of three. An alternative to a toddler group can be a childminder. If you are unable to find a childminder among your friends or on the open market, you can contact the following agencies:
- Registration portal for child day care in the state capital of Hanover.
- Family Service Office of the Youth and Family Department of the City of Hanover
- Specialist advice center for child day care / KiTaB e. V.
Under certain conditions (case-by-case examination), the day care costs can be (partially) covered by the Department for Youth and Family of the City of Hanover upon application. This applies primarily to single parents who are unable to care for their child alone due to employment or education.
For students, there are sometimes difficulties with the assumption of costs. We recommend: Be sure to get advice on this beforehand - you are also welcome to contact our social counseling service.
Childcare places for children under the age of three are scarce in Hannover. For this reason, many parents' initiatives have also been founded in Hanover and have created childcare facilities themselves.
Good to know: We provide financial support for parents' initiatives in which primarily students' children are cared for. Groups can apply for funding for furnishings, play materials, minor remodeling and expansion work, or the like, up to a maximum annual limit based on the number of children cared for by student parents, if no third parties, such as the city of Hanover or the state of Lower Saxony, are responsible for these costs.
Information on funding opportunities is available from Linda Wilken.
The following children's groups exist in the immediate vicinity of the universities:
Krabbelgruppe OSKA e.V. (1 to 3 years) Nienburger Straße 5 30167 Hannover www.krabbelgruppe-oska.de
Krabbelgruppe Schloßgespenster e.V. (1 to 3 years) Liebigstraße 2 30163 Hannover www.krabbelgruppe-schlossgespenster.de
KiTa Hirtenkinder at the MSH (0.5 to 6 years) Stadtfelddamm 66 30625 Hannover www.hirtenkinder.de
Toddler group Baufrösche e.V. (1 to 3 years) Herrenhäuser Straße 8 30419 Hannover www.baufroesche.info
KiTa Einstürzende Bauklötze e.V. (1.5 to 6 years) Rehbockstraße 26 30167 Hannover www.einstuerzende-baukloetze.de
Krabbelgruppe Moorrüben e.V. (1 to 3 years) Hahnenstraße 11 30167 Hannover www.moorrueben-hannover.de
AStA-Kinderladen e.V. (3 to 6 years) Im Moore 15 a 30167 Hannover www.asta-kinderladen.de
AStA-Kindergarten e.V. (3 to 6 years) Im Moore 19 30167 Hanover Tel. (05 11) 7 01 07 28
Die Rotzfrechen e.V. (1 to 3 years) Ottenstraße 1 30451 Hannover www.die-rotzfrechen.de
KiTa Drunter und Drüber (1.5 to 3 years) Am kleinen Felde 15 30167 Hannover www.drunterunddrueber-hannover.de
Gartenzwerge e.V. (0.5 to 3 years) Schneiderberg 10 / 10a 30167 Hannover www.kita-gartenzwerge.de
CampusKrümel e.V. (0,5 to 3 years) Königsworther Platz 1 30167 Hannover www.campuskruemel.de
Children's group Kugelblitze e.V. (1 to 6 years) Erderstraße 29 30451 Hannover www.kugelblitze-hannover.de
Children'sgroup BismarckHeringe (1.5 to 3 years) Bismarckstraße 2 30173 Hannover www.kindergruppe-bismarckheringe.de
Leinehüpfer e.V. (1 to 3 years) Rehbockstraße 26 30167 Hannover www.leinehuepfer.de
KiTa CityZwerge e.V. (1 to 3 years) Fischerstraße 7 30167 Hannover www.cityzwerge.de
What do you do when an emergency throws your well-planned childcare plan into disarray? For example, if the childminder is ill or an exam is postponed to late afternoon at short notice?
That's what the "Fluxx Emergency Childcare" program offered by the City of Hanover is for. Thanks to the support of the Studentenwerk, the program offers especially favorable conditions for students with children.
Student parents who are enrolled at a university in Hannover can take advantage of "Fluxx" regardless of where they live. And for an emergency childcare hour, they pay only 2 euros instead of the usual 5 euros.
In this way, we help student parents to better manage their everyday lives.
More information on "Fluxx" at hannover.de.
Further offers at the universities
At the universities there are lots of other offers for families and students with children. Here are the links:
Leibniz University of Hannover
Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media