Study grants – privileges of studenst with children

Regarding scholarships, there are the following privileges provided for studying mothers or fathers (provided he is married to the child’s mother or shared custody with the child’s mother has been approved by a court of law) ( 2007):

• Entitlement to maximum study grant (Höchststudienbeihilfe) of 7,272 Euros annually (606 Euros per month)
• Monthly child bonus on study grant  60 Euros
• Increased deductible amount:
For each child for which a student legally supports, a deductible amount of 2,762 Euros (for children under 6) can be claimed. For children between 6 and 14, the deductible amount increases to 3,707 Euros.  
• Extension of claim duration in the case of pregnancy during studies or care and education of a child

Pregnancy extends claim duration for one term.
Care and education of a child younger than 3 years of age extends claim duration for a maximum of 2 terms per child.
• For students with children who pay their own way (SelbsterhalterInnen), the age limit for starting studies (30 years) increases for one year per child (in total a maximum of 5 years)

Where
These claims have to be filed with the Studienbeihilfenbehörde (grants agency).

More information:
Frauenratgeberin
Under the heading "Studium", you will find information on increased study grants, amongst others.  

Studienbeihilfenbehörde
The grants agency has issued a separate flyer on the subject of studying with children. It also offers links to other relevant information.

Österreichische HochschülerInnenschaft (ÖH)
The ÖH offers extensive information and counselling on the subject of "Studying with Children", amongst others on the subject of "Studienbeihilfe"
At the Sozialreferat der ÖH Uni Wien, you will find contacts for individual questions. 

Innovations for 2008
Improvements with scholarships
The income limits for drawing Studienbeihilfe (study grant) are increased by up to 20 percent. Also, the limits on additional income for grant claimants are increased and unified: Until now, roughly 7,200 Euros from employment and 5,800 Euros from self-employment could be earned additionally. In the future, this limit will be uniformly 8,000 Euros. There will also be a bonus of 60 Euors per child, on top of family support (Familienbeihilfe) and child support (Kindergeld), as well as a additional tolerance term for studying parents of pre-school-age children. The age limit for getting the study grant is raised from 30 to 35 years for students with children.

Working for tuition fees
In autumn 2008, the controversial mentoring programme allowing students to gain back their tuition fees by tutoring. For 60 hours of tutoring or remedial classes for 10 to 14 year-olds per term, the 363.36 Euro tuition fee will be refunded. From spring 2008, there will be training options for interested students. Graduates of this training programme are entered into a database which schools use to find suitable students.