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Who will pay for my life as a student?

What Dr. Dr. Money says
Bücherregal
Who will pay for my life as a student?

To study at university, you need about €1.000 per month, estimates say. How are you going to raise this amount if your parents are unable or unwilling to provide enough money to cover all your expenses?

In principle, your parents have to support you if you want to study. Up until your 25th birthday, they receive a family allowance of €165,10 from the government to cover part of this cost. And there’s an additional tax benefit of €58,40 for parents with dependent children. However, your parents do not have to cover everything. For example, they do not have to pay for an apartment, for you, if you can just as well live at home while you are studying. And they do not have to spend more than 22% of their annual net income, or a maximum of €1,500, on you. Moreover, this obligation does not last forever. (Information from “Der Standard”) You only have a right to your parents’ financial support if you pursue your studies “seriously and purposefully”, i.e. fast enough: minimum programme time plus one semester at most. (Information about family allowance)

Paid employment

63 per cent of students in Austria have jobs, and 80 per cent of those who work do so to earn their livelihood while pursuing a study programme. On average, students get 40 per cent of their monthly income from their own jobs. These numbers come from a recent study on students’ social circumstances: Studierenden-Sozialerhebung

Finding a job

Tip:
You can also use Google to search for job forums at your university. Or browse the jobs ads in newspapers to find something that suits you.

One important point:

  • · Income If you earn more than € 15,000 per year, you are no longer entitled to draw student benefits. (This amount is adjusted annually.)
  • · If your job takes up so much time that you can’t manage the required ECTS score, you lose your student benefits (allowance as well as free health insurance cover as a dependent of your parents).
  • You are liable for income tax from € 13,308 per year. (As of 2025, this amount is adjusted annually).
  • · Always submit a tax refund claim (Arbeitnehmerveranlagung) at the end of
    the year, especially if you have only been employed for part of the year and have a low annual income. You will get some money back from the tax authority. For more information, visit finanzonline.at.
Student grants and scholarships
Student grants offices exist in all Austrian university towns. There you can get extensive information about grants or scholarships you can apply for.
1. Study grants
If your parents cannot afford to fund you at university, you may be able to apply for a student grant. To qualify for a student grant you have to show that you are progressing through your study programme in the minimum time (plus one “tolerance semester)
2. Excellence scholarship
If you're grades are good, you can apply for an excellence scholarship. Here too you have progress through your study programme in the minimum time plus one “tolerance sesmester”. Calls for applications are issued every year at the start of the winter semester. It’s best to enquire ar your university.
3. Project-based grants
If you need money for a project or for a particular research study and can show that your academic progress is above average, you may be awarded a project-based grant. Project grants are awarded by the university administrations. You can get more detailed information from them.
4. Scholarship after previous employment
If you have earned at least € 8,580 per year for more than four years and then start studying, you have a chance of receiving a self-employed scholarship: all information on the self-employed scholarship. (This amount is adjusted annually.)
5. Support from ÖH social fund
In emergency cases, support may be granted by the Austrian students’ union (Österreichische Hochschülerschaft, ÖH). This comes in the form of a one-off payment of max €1,200. Students can apply for emergency aid once in twelve months. Find more information at Infos ÖH-Sozialfonds (Dieser Betrag wird regelmäßig angepasst.)
6. Housing allowance
REgulations concerning housing allowances differ from region to region in Austria. Here you will find the relevant information: Österreichische Hochschülerschaft.

FAQ

In principle, your parents are obliged to finance your studies – at least until your 25th birthday and as long as you are a serious and determined student. The state supports them with family allowance and the child tax credit. However, your parents do not have to cover all the costs, especially if you can live at home.
Many students work alongside their studies. You can look for jobs via platforms such as the ÖH notice board, unijobs.at or jobhimmel.at. Make sure that your income does not exceed certain limits, otherwise you will lose your entitlement to student grants or have to pay tax.
Study grant if your parents are unable to finance your studies. Merit scholarship, for very good grades and rapid progress in your studies. Funding scholarship, for academic projects with above-average success. Self-support scholarship, if you have worked for at least four years before your studies. ÖH social fund, for special emergencies with a one-off payment of up to € 1,200.
Yes, there are housing grants in all federal states, which are regulated differently. The Austrian Students’ Union offers information and advice on this.
You are liable for tax if your annual income exceeds € 13,308. If you don’t work the whole year, it’s worth making an employee tax assessment – this allows you to get money back from the tax office.

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