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Financial aid
Who can apply for financial aid?
Conditions for receiving financial aid
How long can a student receive financial aid?
Austrian Study Grant Authority
Who can apply for financial aid?
In general, all citizens of Austria and foreigners with equal rights are eligible for financial aid and grants. Foreigners with equal rights include the following:
European Economic Area Citizens
- Children, living and studying in Austria, whose parents are citizens of a member country of the European Economic Area and have lived and worked legally in the country for at least two years.
- Students who have worked legally for two years prior to commencement of their studies can apply for a grant regardless of their parent’s status. Studies must be part of vocational training or further education.
Foreign citizens and stateless people, together with one of their parents, who have prior to commencement of their studies worked for at least five years in Austria. The above mentioned can apply for scholarships only if they have been paying regular income taxes during this period.
Refugees (according to the article 1 that Geneva convention)
Conditions for receiving financial aid
- Social
An application is approved or rejected on the basis of the applicant's income and his parents' income. If a candidate is married, the income of his spouse is also taken into consideration. The family size is also important (number of children, how many of them depend on their parent's income or are self-financed, etc.).If you are financing your studies on your own, your parent’s income will not be considered.
- Age
You can be granted financial aid only if you are up to 30 years of age. If you are financing your studies on your own, the age limit is 35. You qualify for financial aid if you have not completed a first professional degree.
- Favourable study success
In order to continue receiving financial aid you have to prove that you are worth the awarded support. During the first two semesters of your degree course (also in cases when one decides to change this course), students will have to show a certain degree of participation in the exams and they have to obtain at least pass marks. This is the so called „günstige Studienerfolg“. The exact number of semester hours (Wochenstunden) and exams which have to be passed depends on the university and the chosen degree course. When you submit this „günstige Studienerfolg“ by the end of the third semester, you don't have to repay your grant.
- Minimum study success
In addition to the „günstigen Studienerfolg“, there is a “Mindeststudienerfolg” requirement, which you have to obtain in the middle of your degree programme. If you do not send this proof, you will be responsible to pay back the money you received to date.
How long can a student receive financial aid?
In general, all pupils have the right to be funded throughout their school years (different from university to university). The maximum length of time for which students at higher education institutions and academies may receive financial aid is set by law with respect to the school's regulations and standard period of study. Pupils have to provide serious reasons in order to apply for an extension of this period.
Financial aid for postgraduate programmes
After successfully completing their bachelor’s studies, students have the possibility to apply for a Master’s degree scholarship as long as they apply for this financial aid no longer than 18 months after finishing their bachelor’s course work.
Another requirement for further financial assistance is the duration of the applicants' bachelor’s degree – it can exceed the regular study period, but with not more than two semesters (no other studies in the meantime).
There is also a possibility to apply for a doctor’s degree scholarship as long as students apply for this financial aid no longer than 12 month after finishing their master’s course work.
Financial aid amount
The amount of money awarded depends upon different factors. These are the above mentioned criteria – family / spouse income, number of children, ways of financing your studies, etc. There are some other factors influencing the size of the scholarship.
- Residence of your parents - do they live in the city or the place where you study? Do your parents live near or in the city where you intend to study? (5088 € /year)
- Non-resident students with children or students financing studies on their own (7272 € / year)
- Students with children (Additional payment of 528 € and monthly payments, which have been increased on September 1, 2004 - from 44 to 60 €/month)
The application deadlines are as follow:
Winter semester: September 20 – December 15Summer semester: February 20 – May 15
You can obtain an application form all the authorized ÖH (Österreichische HochschülerInnenschaft) offices or you can download it from www.stipendium.at.
Change of course study
In order not to lose your financial aid eligibility when changing your course of study, you have to take into consideration the following regulations:
- Maximum two changes in your course of study
- Matriculation at your previous university or course of study must not exceed two semesters
Exceptions:
- The change in course of study was a result of an inevitable event.
- All years of the preceding study courses are taken into consideration on the basis of taken examinations for the new course of study and recognised from your future university.
Important: Any change in your course of study has to be reported to the responsible authorities. You have to make a new application which will cancel your application concerning previous courses. Pay attention to the age limits. You will loose your right to receive a scholarship if your age exceeds the maximum age prescribed by law.
Tuition fees and grants
Given that the principal reason for awarding grants and funding students from families with low income is to enable them to study and graduate, it will be counterproductive to impose tuition fees and other taxes.
Thus all students receiving a scholarship will get a cash refund of their tuition fees and other taxes paid for their studies.Students who are not eligible for financial aid because their family / spouse income is exceeding the limits prescribed by law, can apply for a partial coverage of their tuition fees. The size of this reimbursement depends on the income (parents, spouse, children, etc.) and there are different income levels, divided on the basis of the amount of money exceeding the prescribed limits. If you are eligible for a grant which is 150 EURO or less, you loose your rights to be awarded any financial aid. The application for grant is made together with the application for financial aid.
Austrian Study Grant Authority
1100 Wien
Gudrunstraße 179a
Tel.: +43-1-60173
Consultation times:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9:00-12:00
Graduation-Scholarship Consultation: 2 Floor
Monday, 15:00-17:00; Tuesday and Wednesday 17:00-19:00
4020 Linz
Europaplatz 5a
Tel.: +43-732-664031
Consultation times:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9:00 – 12:00
5020 Salzburg
Paris-Lodronstr. 2
Tel.: +43-662-842439
Consultation times:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9:00 – 12:00
6020 Innsbruck
Andreas Hofer Str. 46
Tel.: +43-512-573370
Consultation times:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9:00 – 12:00
Graduation-Scholarship Consultation:
Tuesday 14-17 Uhr unter Tel: 0512 /57 33 70 DW 26
8010 Graz
Metahofgasse 30, 2.Stock
Tel.: +43-316-813388
Consultation times:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9:00 – 12:00
Graduation-Scholarship Consultation:
Monday, 13:00 – 17:00 with appointment
9020 Klagenfurt
Bahnhofstraße 9
Tel.: +43-463-514697
Consultation times:
Monday - Thursday, 9:00 – 12:00
Graduation-Scholarship Consultation:
Monday, 13:00 – 15:00
Students, who have paid their tuition fees and who have not received any public / government assistance can take a low-interest loan from a credit institution. The Federation (Der Bund) pays 2% of the interest accrued in case that:
- The loan is used only as a form of financing your studies.
- Your studies have started after October 1, 2001 and you are not older than 30 years of age.
Important:
- You don't have to give evidence for your social status / income and you don't have to prove that you are worth the awarded loan (the so called günstiger Studienerfolg).
- Only students who do not receive financial aid in the form of a grant can receive the above mentioned loan
- Loans will be granted for no longer that 14 semesters (starting from 2001/2002)
- Credit - worthiness criteria vary from financial institution to financial institution