Financing your studies

Unfortunately, you won't get far in your studies without money. The rent has to be paid on time, the fridge needs to be filled and every now and then you would like to visit your family back home. Studying in Mittweida has a big advantage over other university towns. The rent and the so-called cost of living are lower here than in almost all other university towns. However, it still doesn't work all by itself, so we have collected a few options for financing your studies.

In Germany, the Federal Training Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, BAföG) regulates state support for studies to ensure your livelihood. As a foreign student, you also have the possibility of receiving BAföG. Whether you are eligible for BAföG depends on various factors. You have to differentiate according to your citizenship and your residence status. Rough rule: If you have been in Germany for a longer period of time and want to stay here permanently, you should be able to receive BAföG. How much BAföG you receive depends in most cases on how much your parents earn and whether you have accumulated a small fortune yourself. BAföG therefore acts as a loan, which you have to pay back in part after you finish your studies. To find out how this actually works and whether you fulfil the necessary conditions to receive BAföG, please contact your BAföG contact person at the Studentenwerk Freiberg, which is responsible for Mittweida. Be sure to contact them! It would be a pity if you had the chance to get BAföG and didn't use it!

If you are not eligible for BAföG, another option is to apply for a student loan. You have to pay this loan back in full, and interest is often added. Instead of being paid out in one single sum, the money is transferred to your account on a monthly basis. It is important to inform yourself about the respective lender and to customise the loan to your financial situation. Such lenders include KfW-Bank, Career-Concept, the Sparkasse or the education financing programme of Volksbank Mittweida.

If you think scholarships are only for nerds, you're wrong. So much more is important than just good grades when you apply for a scholarship. For example, they value your social commitment. In Germany, there are 13 organisations for the promotion of gifted students with different orientations, so there are foundations with different political, religious, trade union or entrepreneurial backgrounds. As with any job interview, your self-presentation is half the battle, so you should prepare well when you apply.

The Mittweida University of Applied Sciences awards the Deutschlandstipendium with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education and regional partners. Also for international students. 

Our HSMW Career Service offers you not only internships but also fairly paid part-time jobs on its website. Be sure to check the notices on the pillars in the cafeteria or the offers on the Studentenwerk website under the heading "Student Jobs". Or introduce yourself directly in person: Bars, restaurants and cafés are interested in motivated students, especially in the summer. Local supermarket branches are looking for support from time to time, and the university is also a good employer for student assistants. You can always find new job offers on HSMW-CareerNet - also for the time after graduation.

People with low incomes can apply for housing benefit as a rent supplement at the local housing office. How much this supplement is depends on the amount of rent and the household income. There is a tendency not to claim housing benefit if students could principally receive BAföG - regardless of whether they actually receive it. Sounds complicated? As a student, an application for housing benefit could be successful if, among other things, you are older than 30, you change your field of study after the fourth semester "without important reason", you have exceeded the so-called maximum period of support according to BAföG, you are studying part-time, or if you’re studying for a second degree. Admittedly, this still sounds complicated. Therefore, you can find more information about housing benefits at the Landkreis Mittelsachsen.