File the application with the state authority
The application goes not to a federal body but to the state education funding office. Procedures and forms differ between states, so identifying the right recipient comes first.
✓ Verified: 11/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
Ask the school for an official confirmation stating the exact fee, not a marketing brochure. The office calculates from the document, not from a web page.
Record the filing date separately from the application itself. You will need it if a dispute later arises about the period for which benefits are due.
Useful Tools
- Weiterbildungssuche der Bundesagentur education
Official training search: shows courses that the employment agency funds through a voucher.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where do I file? ▾
With the state office for education funding. It is not a federal body, and procedures vary: some states handle the application entirely online, others on paper. The ministrys official portal helps identify the right office.
When should I file? ▾
As early as possible relative to the course start, because processing takes time and part of the benefit is tied to the training period. The precise deadline rules depend on the state and the course format.
What documents are usually required? ▾
The training providers confirmation of the course and its fees, proof of a completed vocational qualification or of work experience, and income documents where the living contribution is involved.
Can I apply once the course has started? ▾
That depends on the state and on which part of the funding is at stake. This is exactly why the deadline question belongs before filing rather than after — the date generally cannot be moved retrospectively.
What happens after filing? ▾
A decision notice follows. It states which part is paid as a grant and which runs through a loan agreement with the KfW, and that document is needed at every later step.