BAföG repayment; application for a hardship waiver after rejection of the cooperation waiver

If Cooperation Forgiveness has been denied, you may apply for hardship forgiveness of your loan under certain circumstances.

Description

Your decision for or against a BAföG education loan should not lead you to fears of debt. Thus, you can apply for a hardship waiver if the cooperation waiver was rejected.

Hardship means only a minor violation of your obligations to pay and cooperate throughout the repayment period.

Your request may

  • Result in a hardship waiver:
    • You will be forgiven the (remaining) debt of your BAföG loan.
  • lead to a rejection:
    • You must repay the remaining debt in the amount of your BAföG loan, including outstanding costs and interest.

You can submit your application informally

  • by telephone,
  • in writing and
  • online

at the Federal Office of Administration (BVA).

Prerequisites

You can submit an application if

  • You have been denied a cooperation waiver by the Federal Administrative Office (BVA).

Requirements for the hardship waiver:

  • within the repayment period
    • address investigation charges have been levied against you no more than 1 time;
      • this happens if you did not notify the change of your name or the changes of your residential address and the Federal Office of Administration (BVA) had to determine them
    • no final fine has ever been imposed on you;
      • fines are levied if you have not reported changes in the relevant family and income circumstances during an exemption or deferral period
    • you have settled all payment obligations, including claims for costs and interest;
      • interest on arrears has accrued for a maximum period of 150 days in total.

Note
Interest is always charged if you are more than 45 days in arrears with a payment.

Procedure

You can send the request informally

  • by telephone
  • in writing and
  • online

at the Federal Office of Administration (BVA).

  • If you submit your application by telephone:
    • Call one of the BVA phone numbers provided.
    • Make the application.
  • If you make your application in writing:
    • Send the informal, as well as signed application - under indication of your reference number - by mail to the BVA.
  • If you submit your application online:
    • Open the BAföG online portal of the BVA and register there.
    • After registration, you will receive a confirmation by e-mail. Follow the steps in the email to complete the registration.
    • Log in to the BAföG-Online portal.
    • Click on "Application Forms" and select the "Hardship Waiver" form by clicking on the "Submit Application" button.
    • Fill out the form and press the "Send" button.
  • You will receive the decision on your application by mail from the BVA.
  • If your application is approved, you will be debt-free and will not have to repay the loan.
  • If your application is denied, you will have to repay the remaining loan debt, including any outstanding costs and interest, in one lump sum.

Deadlines

Application: within 1 month after rejection of the cooperation decree.

Processing time

  • Application processing time: 3 months

Required documents

  • Erforderliche Unterlage/n

    • keine

Online procedures

  • Portal für die BAföG-Rückzahlung

    With your online ID card, you can register for the BAföG repayment procedure and submit both your personal data and the required evidence securely and quickly electronically.

Fees

    • none

Related issues

Status: 18.02.2023

Responsible for editing: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

Contains machine translated content. Show the original content

  • Online transactions, Bavaria-wide
  • Online transactions, locally limited
  • Prefillable Form, Bavaria-wide
  • Legal bases, Bavaria-wide
  • Legal bases, locally limited
  • Fees, Bavaria-wide
  • Fees, locally limited
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