Financial Assistance for the Purchase of School Supplies

School supplies can be quite expensive. The costs of notebooks, pens, art supplies, sports gear, calculators, water bottles, etc., add up quickly. When children start school, you also need to buy a backpack, pencil case, gym bag, and so on. Parents and single parents with low incomes can apply for financial assistance.

All children should have equal educational opportunities. The school supplies package ensures that students have access to sufficient school supplies.

• For the first half of the school year, 130 euros are provided for materials needed at school.
• For the second half of the school year, an additional 65 euros are provided. 
• Together, that amounts to 195 euros per school year for each eligible schoolchild.

The so-called school supplies package is part of the benefits provided under the Education and Participation Package.

To receive financial assistance, the following requirements must be met:

• Parents or single parents with school-age children who receive the child supplement or housing assistance, or
• Parents or single parents are recipients of basic income support for job seekers, social assistance, welfare, or asylum seeker benefits

Students up to the age of 25 are eligible for support.

Parents and single parents who receive housing assistance or the child supplement can apply for the school supply package at their local municipal office. Please remember to include receipts for the purchase of school supplies, as well as your current approval notice for housing allowance or the child supplement, with your application. You can submit claims for expenses retroactively for up to 12 months upon presentation of the receipts.

Recipients of benefits under SGB II (Hartz IV), SGB (social assistance), and AsylbLG (asylum seeker benefits) generally receive the lump-sum payments automatically and do not need to submit a separate application. The subsidy for school supplies is automatically included in the application for living expenses. For children under 7 and over 15, you must submit a school certificate to the office.

In addition to school supplies, eligible families can receive further financial assistance to help their children participate in programs at school, daycare centers, child care facilities, and recreational activities. 

The Education and Participation Package includes benefits for:

• Participation in field trips and one- or multi-day trips organized by the school or daycare center
• School transportation
• Learning support
• Lunch at daycare and school
• Participation in social and cultural life