If you are an Austrian student who is planning a language course or even up to three semesters abroad, you can apply for a “ grant for studying abroad ” (BAS). BAS is in addition to the benefits from the study grant, which continue to run without restrictions abroad. However, internships abroad are excluded from BAS funding.

Study abroad allowance benefits

In addition to the monthly allowance, the scope of benefits for study abroad also includes a travel allowance. Both are calculated depending on the tuition fees and living costs in the country of study. For countries that are not specifically designated, the study grant abroad is a flat rate of 73 euros per month.

The social need of the students also plays a role in determining the amount of the allowance. Students who meet one of the following criteria receive a monthly flat rate of 146 euros for countries that are not declared separately:

• Self-sustaining
• Students with disabilities or chronic illnesses
• Orphans
• married students living in a registered partnership
• Students with children

The amount of the BAS grant depends on the travel destination: The highest grant rate is given to students for a stay abroad in the USA. Due to the high tuition fees, the additional payment for studying abroad in the USA is currently 327 euros (or 487 euros for students with special needs). For countries in Europe, the amount fluctuates more depending on the study costs: the surcharge for studying abroad in Great Britain is 276 euros (429 euros), in Spain it is 87 euros (174 euros).

Travel expenses are also subsidized by BAS. The amount of the travel surcharge for all countries not shown separately is estimated at an average of 146 euros within Europe and an average of 581 euros outside of Europe. For particularly distant countries such as New Zealand, students even receive EUR 1,129 in travel expenses.

The study grant authority provides information in a country table about the amount of BAS funding and travel allowances for the respective desired country.

Maximum duration of grant for study abroad

With BAS, it is possible to finance a semester abroad or even an entire partial course abroad. But a short stay abroad in the form of a summer session can also be realized with it. The funding entitlement from BAS ranges from a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 20 months. The duration of entitlement is based on the type of university in Austria: At universities of teacher education and academies, the maximum funding period is one academic year (12 months). At universities, technical colleges and theological schools for three semesters (20 months).

Requirements for obtaining BAS

Receiving study grants is an unrestricted basic requirement for receiving BAS. The conditions under which an Austrian student is entitled to receive study grants and thus BAS according to (§ 4 StudFG) will be checked by the responsible bodies on a case-by-case basis.

Attention:
To start the stay abroad, the applicant must be enrolled as a regular student at least in the third semester of the bachelor’s degree at an Austrian university in order to be entitled to financial aid for studying abroad.

Information on how to apply

In order to receive aid for studying abroad in good time before the planned start of the stay abroad, it is advisable to carefully observe the application deadlines and deadlines for submitting the study success. The application for financial aid for studying abroad must be submitted early, but no later than three months after the end of the stay abroad. Otherwise, funding by BAS will be rejected. Application forms for BAS are available on the official homepage of the study grant authority:
https://www.stipendium.at/service/frage-online-stellen/

Repayment of the grant for studying abroad

Anyone who has completed a stay abroad that has been subsidized with BAS must provide evidence of academic success at the international university within the next application period. This means that a repayment obligation is excluded. The scope of the proof of success depends on the length of the stay abroad and the number of hours.