Studying with a Child

Studying with a child often entails problems, especially of a financial nature. The Social Department therefore advises students with children on general and financial matters and offers options for financial support.

Leave of Absence

  • Pregnancy and caring for your own children are reasons to take a leave of absence.
  • When taking a leave of absence, the simultaneous receipt of study grant or family allowance is excluded. For this reason, it is not advisable for recipients of study grants to take a leave of absence during pregnancy, as the extension of the entitlement period may be lost.
  • Also be careful with your insurance. During the leave of absence, co-insurance with relatives or student insurance is also not possible. It is therefore particularly important to ensure that insurance cover is already in place during the leave of absence before the birth of the child. Otherwise, the insurance will only become active again when the childcare allowance is received after the birth (birth costs).
  • There are no tuition fees for the semester(s) in question during the period of leave of absence. The ÖH contribution must still be paid. Please also note the (current) special regulations for tuition fees for students with children. This depends on the age of the child!
  • Admission to studies remains valid during the leave of absence, i.e. you remain admitted, but you are not allowed to attend courses, take examinations, participate in compulsory internships or submit and assess academic work. This also applies to papers dated for the semester in question.
  • You can apply for a leave of absence at the responsible study and examination department until the end of the grace period. If you change your mind afterwards, you can withdraw your application up to the end of the grace period.

End of the submission deadlines

Winter semester: November 30

Summer semester: April 30

Effect on Study Grant

Extension of entitlement:

  • Pregnancy during studies extends the period of entitlement to study grants by one semester. For education, care and support until the child reaches the age of six, the period can be extended by a maximum of two semesters per child.

Study grant:

  • Students with children receive an increased basic amount of study grant:
    For students before their 24th birthday, this amounts to € 805 per month,

For students on self-sustainability scholarships and students after their 24th birthday, this amounts to € 1,079 per month

From the 27th birthday, the allowance increases to € 1,113
(as of February 2024)

  • In addition, the study grant increases by € 150 per month per child. 

Child Tax Deduction

Every taxpayer who receives family allowance is entitled to the child deduction. The child deduction amounts to € 67.80 per child per month. It is paid out together with the family allowance and does not have to be applied for separately. It is paid out even if no or only a small amount of tax is paid.

Increase in the age limit for students with children

The permissible age limit (start of studies before the age of 30) is increased by 5 years for students with children.

Additional Income Limit

The additional income limit of € 16,455 per calendar year is increased by € 3,000 to € 9,610 per year per dependent child, depending on the age of the child/children.

The prerequisite for increasing the additional earnings limit is the obligation to support the child; there does not have to be a duty of care.

Childcare Subsidy

If you are in the final phase of your studies, i.e. you have completed your diploma, bachelor's or master's degree with the exception of the completion of your diploma thesis/master's thesis and examinations from compulsory and elective subjects amounting to a maximum of ten semester hours or 20 ECTS, you will be granted a study allowance until you graduate. This amounts to a maximum of 150.00 euros per month per child and is granted for a maximum of 18 months. The application must be submitted to the relevant scholarship office.

Special case: If the parents are married or if joint custody of the child is regulated by court order, the child-raising and care periods can also be taken into account for fathers who receive study grants. In this case, it is also possible for the father to apply for the maximum study allowance and the supplementary allowance.

Childcare allowance

The aim of the childcare allowance is to improve the compatibility of work and family, to make childcare more flexible and to involve fathers more.

Eligibility requirements:

  • Receipt of family allowance for the child
  • Center of life of applicant parent and child in Austria
  • A joint household with the child (same main residence registration)
  • In the case of separated parents, the applicant parent must also have custody of the child
  • Completion of the mother-child passport examinations
  • Compliance with the additional income limits
  • Non-Austrians must also provide proof of legal residence in Austria
  • Parents who have been granted asylum are also entitled to the childcare allowance
  • Persons entitled to protection only if they do not receive benefits from basic welfare support and are self-employed or employed

If another child is born, the entitlement for the older child ends and a new application must be made for the newborn child.

Foster and adopted children are also entitled to the childcare allowance from the time they are taken into care/adoption.

Flat rate childcare allowance as an account:

  • Parents are entitled to this regardless of whether they were in gainful employment before the birth
  • The period of entitlement is generally between 365 and 851 days
  • If the parents alternate (claim by both parents), the entitlement period is extended to 456 to 1063 days
  • Each parent has a non-transferable entitlement period of 91 days.
  • The amount of entitlement depends on the chosen entitlement period
  • between € 17.65 and € 41.14 per day
  • In the case of multiple births, the childcare allowance is increased by 50% of the amount for each additional child.
  • Parents with a low income can apply to the health insurance provider for a subsidy on top of the flat-rate childcare allowance.
  • 6.06 € per day (for a maximum of 365 days)

Eligible:

  • Single parents who earn no more than € 8,100 per year
  • Parents living in a marriage or cohabitation where the receiving parent does not earn more than €8,100 and the partner does not earn more than €18,000 per year.

Income-related childcare allowance

Eligible:

  • Persons who have been in gainful employment subject to social insurance contributions in Austria in the 6 months prior to the birth of the child
  • If only one parent receives childcare allowance, the person can receive the income-related childcare allowance up to the 365th day after the birth of the child
  • Both parents can also receive it alternately
    • In this case, the entitlement is extended by the period of actual receipt by the other parent, up to a maximum of the end of the child's 14th month of life.
  • The income-related childcare allowance amounts to 80% of the last income, but at least €39.33 per day and a maximum of €76.60 per day.
  • This option therefore makes sense for parents who have a higher income and only want to take a short break from working life.

Partnership and family bonus

  • If the parents share childcare almost equally, a one-off partnership bonus of €500 can be applied for from the health insurance provider.
  • Working fathers have the option of applying to their health insurance provider for a family time bonus of €700 if they dedicate one month immediately after the birth exclusively to their family and stop working for one month.

Additional income limit:

  • In the case of the lump-sum childcare allowance, 60% of the last income before the birth or up to €18,000 per year may be earned during the period of receipt.
  • Tax-free income such as family allowance, childcare allowance, maternity allowance, 13th + 14th salary or study grant do not count as additional income.
  • In the case of income-related childcare allowance, additional earnings are only possible up to an amount of € 8,100 per year.

Application:

  • From the birth in writing to the health insurance provider
  • Can only be paid retroactively for up to 6 months

Suspension of entitlement:

  • Entitlement to childcare allowance is suspended when receiving maternity benefit
  • Entitlement is also suspended before the birth of another child

Maternity benefit

During the maternity protection period, which begins 8 weeks before the expected date of birth and ends 8 weeks after the actual date of birth, there is an absolute ban on employment for women in gainful employment. The maternity allowance provides financial support for working women during this period and replaces their lost earnings. In the case of a premature, multiple or caesarean birth, the period after the birth is extended to 12 weeks.

Entitled to claim:

  • employed women
  • marginally employed women with voluntary self-insurance
  • Fully insured self-employed women

Application:

  • You can submit the application to the relevant health insurance fund from the 8th week before the birth.
  • You will need a doctor's certificate as well as a confirmation of employment and remuneration from your employer

Family allowance for the child

Eligibility requirements:

  • Parents whose center of life is in Austria
  • if the child lives with them in the same household
  • Entitlement exists for all children who have not yet reached the age of 18. The maximum period of entitlement to family allowance is currently set at the age of 24.

Eligible are:

  • Austrian citizens
  • EU/EEA citizens
  • Swiss citizens
  • Third-country nationals residing in Austria on the basis of a permanent residence permit
  • Recognized refugees under the Asylum Act.

Application:

  • at the competent tax office of residence
  • is always paid primarily to the parent in charge of the household (mother). However, it is also possible to waive this in favor of the other parent with written consent.

Documents required for the application:

  • Birth certificate of the child
  • Registration form of the child
  • Registration form of the applicant

Amount of family allowance

Age of the childAmount per month
from birth€ 138.40
from 3 years of age€ 148.00
from 10 years of age€ 171.80
from 19 years€ 200.40

(This table contains the amounts of family allowance since January 2025)

The total monthly amount of family allowance increases for each child due to the sibling scale:

  • For two children by 8.60 euros for each child
  • For three children by 21.10 euros for each child
  • For four children by 32.10 euros for each child
  • For five children: 38.90 euros for each child
  • For six children 43.40 euros for each child
  • For seven and more children by 63.10 euros for each child

 

Subsidies, reductions or support

Social fund of the ÖH

Students who find themselves in a particular financial emergency have the option of receiving one-off support each year. 

ÖH childcare fund

for childcare costs such as kindergarten, crèche, after-school care, childminder, babysitter

ÖH children's fund

for unexpected one-off expenses such as medical costs, therapy costs, children's furniture, etc.

ESF childcare allowance

For students in the final phase, there is a subsidy for childcare from the European Social Fund.
Application at the scholarship office.

ESF degree scholarship

for students who have worked at least half-time or looked after their children for at least 36 months in the last 48 months during their studies and have almost reached their study goal.
Application at the scholarship office.

AMS childcare allowance

Funding is available for full-day, half-day or hourly childcare in kindergartens, crèches, day nurseries etc. for children up to the age of 15.
Aid can be granted for 26 weeks at a time, up to a total of 156 weeks per child

Study support from the BMWFW

Anyone who can provide evidence of favourable academic success and is experiencing or has experienced a social hardship can apply to the Ministry of Science (BMWFW) for study support to compensate for study-related costs

Degree must have been completed no more than 2 semesters ago.

Family hardship compensation

for hardship caused by a special event (accident, natural disaster, death, etc.)
Detailed information is available from the Federal Ministry for Family and Youth.

General grants:

  • Exemption from prescription charges
  • Means-tested minimum income
  • Housing allowance
  • Family pass

In Styria

  • Allowance for children's vacation activity weeks
  • Support for multiple births
  • Parental education vouchers

Childcare

In general: The rush is great, so register your child in good time!

  • Student crèches and kindergartens
  • University kindergartens
  • Community kindergartens
  • Parents' initiatives and children's groups
  • Childminders

Allocation and costs:

  • Each place of residence is assigned to an Office for Youth and Family, where you can find out which public or private kindergartens are located near your place of residence, and which still have places available.
  • Please note:
    • Half-day kindergarten attendance in the year before school entry is compulsory for all children who have reached the age of 5 by August 31st for at least 16 hours per week.
    • Attendance is free of charge for parents for up to 20 hours per week.
    • The costs of childcare for a child up to the age of 10 (up to the age of 16 for children with disabilities) can be deducted by taxable parents up to a maximum of € 2,300 per year.

Contact points

Childcare Officer TU Graz

Lissa Reithofer
Mandellstraße 5 1st floor
8010 Graz
+43/0/316 873 -6095
l.reithofer@tugraz.at

Childcare TU Graz - nanoversity

Inffeldgründe, Petersgasse 136
8010 Graz
+43 316 873 30 595