Exemption from income of students during the pandemic from jobs in systemically important sectors

Due to the pandemic, § 21 Paragraph 4 No. 5 BAföG (exemption from income of students from jobs in systemically relevant sectors) was introduced. As a result, “additional income from the applicant's activity in systemically relevant sectors and professions, insofar as the activity to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and its social consequences was started from March 1, 2020 or increased in terms of working hours, for the duration of this activity or increase in working hours” are not taken into account when deducting income.

In short, income from systemically relevant professions was exempted from BAföG, i.e. not taken into account.

These changes were in effect from March 1, 2020, but only until the repeal of the identified epidemic situation of national scope as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is announced in accordance with Section 5 (1) sentence 3 of the Infection Protection Act - i.e. they apply from the following month no more.

With the announcement in the Federal Law Gazette of the "Gesetz zur Änderung des Infektionsschutzgesetzes und weiterer Gesetze anlässlich der Aufhebung der Feststellung der epidemischen Lage von nationaler Tragweite vom 22.11.2021 (BGBl. I S. 4906)", § 21 Paragraph 4 No. 5 BAföG is still up to applied as of March 31, 2022. In other words: The temporary exemption of income from activities in systemically relevant areas to combat the COVID19 pandemic will remain applicable until March 31, 2022 even after the national epidemic has been identified.
 
The Federal Government is authorized to extend this regulation until December 31, 2022, insofar as this is necessary due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unless extended, the exemption from crediting income from systemically important industries and professions toward BAföG funding will end on March 31, 2022.

Background information:

The income must come from an activity in systemically relevant sectors and professions. These are, for example, activities in the health sector, in social institutions (care facilities, e.g. care for the elderly, etc.) or in agriculture.

The activity must be carried out to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and its social consequences. It must have been included since March 1, 2020 or increased in terms of working hours. Then the income from the newly started activity and income from the increase of working hours can be exempted from crediting.

However, the students are still obliged to report all income earned immediately. The Amt für Ausbildungsförderung checks in each individual case whether and to what extent income can be released. Please contact your case worker. You can find the contact details on this page.