BAföG for a Second Degree: How to Get Funding for a New Field

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You've got your bachelor's degree in hand but want to study something completely different, and now the question of BAföG, Germany's federal student aid, for a second degree is on the table. The short answer: in the vast majority of cases you no longer get BAföG for a second, completely new field of study. But there are exceptions that can really bring in money if you know them and apply correctly.

I worked this out myself when a fellow student wanted to study medicine after her business administration bachelor's. The Office for Educational Funding in Cologne told her plainly at first: without a special reason, nothing works anymore. That's exactly why it's worth taking a close look at the rules before you invest time in an application that will be rejected anyway.

What does BAföG for a second degree actually mean?

The legislature distinguishes between your funded first education and everything that comes after. As soon as you hold a first professionally qualifying degree, whether a bachelor's, a university of applied sciences degree or a vocational training, every further program counts as a second education. The Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) regulates this quite clearly in Section 7.

For financing a continuing course of study, the rule therefore is: the normal case is no funding anymore. The exceptions are precisely defined, though, and are worth checking before you tick the topic off.

Funding for a consecutive degree program: the most important special case

The good news first: a master's that builds directly on your bachelor's does not count as a second education. This is called a consecutive degree program, and for it you keep receiving BAföG as normal, as if you were continuing your first degree.

The subject-matter connection is what matters. A bachelor's in sociology followed by a master's in social work usually counts as consecutive. A bachelor's in mechanical engineering followed by a master's in psychology, on the other hand, does not, because the subject link is missing.

You'll find more on financing options between the two stages of study in my article on financing your studies in the gap between bachelor's and master's.

These are the exceptions for BAföG for a second degree

State funding for a second field is still not completely ruled out. The law recognizes several hardship cases in which students may be entitled to funding even for a second, subject-unrelated course of study.

• You had to abandon your first degree through no fault of your own, for example because of a serious illness, and the new field builds on it in a sensible way thematically.
• Your second degree is absolutely necessary to practice your intended profession, for example when a teaching degree isn't eligible for admission without a second subject.
• After vocational training, you chose a degree program that is closely tied to your previous work, for example from nursing training to a nursing management program.

The responsible Office for Educational Funding reviews these exceptions case by case. There are no blanket approvals; you have to justify your case with documents and a short letter of motivation.

Check the requirements for BAföG for a second degree before you apply

Before you even fill out forms, it's worth calling the student services organization (Studierendenwerk). The caseworkers there see cases like yours every day and can often tell over the phone whether your second field qualifies as an exception. That saves you weeks of waiting for a rejection.

Ask specifically whether your case falls under Section 7, paragraph 2 of the BAföG law, which is the provision for second-education exceptions. Current information and the exact funding rates are available directly from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research at bafög.de.

Which degree programs count as a second education, and which don't

In practice the line is often tricky. A consecutive master's does not count as a second education, a master's in an unrelated field does. A second bachelor's after the first almost always falls under second education, no matter how closely related the subjects are.

A state examination after a bachelor's can also be assessed differently depending on the federal state. If you switch from a bachelor's in biology to the state examination in pharmacy, for example, a case-by-case review at the BAföG office is worthwhile.

For everyone who ends up not receiving funding through classic BAföG, there are other government programs. The Aufstiegs-BAföG with up to €15,000 for your second degree is one option, for example, that many people overlook because it's actually intended for career advancement training, but under certain conditions it can also apply to a second degree.

Securing financing after your first degree: alternatives to BAföG

If the second education isn't funded, you're not automatically stuck. There are several realistic ways to manage your second degree anyway.

A student loan can make sense if you have a clear career outlook with a correspondingly good later income. When that really pays off, I explain in detail in the article Student loan: when debt for your studies pays off.

Alongside that, there's of course the option of working as a working student at the same time. How many hours you may work next to any first funding that's still running is covered in the post Working student and BAföG: how many hours are allowed?.

Some students also choose more flexible ways of financing, such as sugar dating, to close the gap without tying themselves to an employer. Platforms like MySugardaddy offer a structured framework for this, but you should inform yourself about the legal conditions beforehand.

How to apply for BAföG for a second degree in practice

If you believe one of the exceptions applies to you, the application formally works the same as for a first degree. You fill out forms 1 to 3 and submit them to the responsible Office for Educational Funding.

For the second education you additionally need a letter of justification in which you explain why your case falls under one of the exception rules. Include supporting documents here, such as medical certificates for health reasons or study and examination regulations proving that the second field is mandatory for your profession.

Plan on several weeks for processing; for second-education cases the review usually takes longer than for standard applications, because a caseworker has to assess the individual case.

Conclusion: BAföG for a second degree is the exception, not the rule

For most of you the rule is: BAföG for a second degree exists only if your new program builds consecutively on the first or one of the legally defined hardship provisions applies. Check your case specifically with the student services organization before you invest time in a hopeless application. If it doesn't work out, there are plenty of alternatives, from Aufstiegs-BAföG to student loans, that can still finance your second degree.

Frequently asked questions about BAföG for a second degree

Do I get BAföG for a second bachelor's?

As a rule, no. A second bachelor's counts as a second education and is only funded in cases of proven hardship.

Is a master's after a bachelor's automatically a second education?

No, a consecutive master's that builds on the bachelor's subject-wise counts as part of the first education and is funded as normal.

What counts as a hardship case for BAföG for a second degree?

Abandoning a first degree through no fault of your own or the mandatory professional necessity of the second field count as recognized hardship cases.

How long does it take to review a second-education application?

Plan on several weeks longer than for a normal BAföG application, since the agency assesses your individual case.

What alternatives are there if I don't get BAföG for the second education?

Aufstiegs-BAföG, student loans and side jobs as a working student are the most common ways to finance a second degree yourself.