International Applicants and Degree Students

The information is continuously updated on the following web page:
"Consequences for international students who want to or have begun to study with the aim of obtaining a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree".

Further information on the Aid for quarantine-related expenditures of international students and international PhD-students can be found on the following web page.

Due to the current situation, additional financial support for students in need is offered by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The bridging subsidy is available for students in Germany who can prove that they have financial hardship caused by the pandemic.
Eligible for application are students who are enrolled at a state or state-recognized university in Germany at the time of application and are not on a Leave of Absence. There is no age limit.
The application can be only submitted online at: https://www.überbrückungshilfe-studierende.de . Student applications will be then automatically forwarded to the Studentenwerk Potsdam via the portal.

The amount of the grant (between 100 and 500 euros per month) depends on your account balance at the time of your online application.
You can submit applications for the months of November 2020, December 2020, January 2021, February 2021 and March 2021. A new application is required for each month (by the last day of the month).

Requirements:

• Enrolled at a state or state-recognised university in Germany;
• The balance of all bank accounts is under 500 Euro (The balance of the „Blocked account“ does not have to be submitted);
• No further pandemic-related support for the month in which the bridging assistance applies for;
• Proof of financial distress caused by the pandemic (Termination because your part-time job has broken off or self-declaration because your parents can no longer economically support you due to the pandemic).

For foreign students, applying for bridging subsidy does not have a negative impact on your legal situation.

THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE IS DIFFERENT IN THE 2ND ROUND!

Note:

• The certificate of study, "Studienbescheinigung", must be uploaded again, namely the one from the current winter semester 20/21.
• The existing pandemic-related emergency must be justified and documented again, either with proof of the last two months prior to the application (e.g. job loss, unsuccessful applications in the last two previous months) or with a self-declaration.
• The proof of the emergency from the first round is not enough! Anyone who has tried unsuccessfully for a job in the previous two months must provide evidence of at least two applications including rejections. If these documents cannot be provided due to the pandemic, a self-declaration on the applications and rejections must be submitted.

Further information can be found here: https://www.bmbf.de/de/wissenswertes-zur-ueberbrueckungshilfe-fuer-studierende-11509.html .

Daka is the Studentische Darlehnskasse Berlin, which grants loans with low interest rates. The loan is granted regardless of the parents' income, origin, age, BAföG and the number of semesters.
The Studentische Darlehnskasse e.V. is a student self-help institution with the task of supporting students. The loan can be paid out over 3 years, with a maximum monthly payment of 750 Euros.

Requirements:
- The enrolled study in Germany in Bachelor, Master, Diplom, Magister, exam and doctorate,
- A directly enforceable guarantee (relatives or acquaintances with an income of at least 1,000 euros)

Members of daka will be happy to advise you in their office or by telephone. You can find further information at: dakaberlin.de/credit-for-students-in-berlin/