Student Assistance Fund

We are available both on-site during our consultation hours and via email.

You can find us in Room 7, Endenicher Allee 19 - Container

Financial problems? The Assistance Fund can help!

What is the Student Assistance Fund, also known as Hifo?

The Student Assistance Fund, also known as Hifo, is a loan fund of the student body of the University of Bonn. The approval of applications is decided by a committee of the Student Parliament.

Who can apply for a loan?

All students of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn can apply for a loan from the Student Assistance Fund.

What types of loans are available?

The Student Assistance Fund offers two types of loans to students of the University of Bonn. With a guarantor, a loan of up to €3000 can be applied for. Without the security of a guarantor, the maximum loan amount is €1000. Both loans up to €1000 without a guarantor and loans up to €3000 with a guarantor are interest-free, meaning no more money needs to be repaid than was borrowed.

What documents are needed?

To apply for a loan from the Student Assistance Fund, the following documents are required:

• Completed application form (you will receive this from us after filling out the protocol)
• Copy of your ID card
• Copy of your enrollment certificate
• Copies of your income statements

Additionally, for loans over €1000:

• Certified guarantor statement (template provided in the application form received from us)
• Copy of the ID card of the guarantor

Furthermore, regardless of the loan amount, we ask for appropriate documents to prove financial hardship, such as bank statements from the last three months for all your accounts.

What are the steps in the application process?

The first step in your application process is to fill out the consultation protocol. This can be done in a personal consultation during office hours on-site (see above). Alternatively, you can download it from this page, fill it out, and send it to us by email at hifo@asta.uni-bonn.de.

Afterward, you will receive the application form from us, which you should then complete and send back to us with the necessary documents by mail or email. If there are no questions or requests for additional documents from our side, your application will be submitted to the Assistance Fund Committee, which will review it at its next meeting.

If your application is approved, we will draw up a loan agreement. This must be signed in triplicate by you, the committee chairperson, and the finance officer; this can be done on-site or by mail. Subsequently, the disbursement of the loan can be initiated.

How is the repayment handled?

The repayment of the loan begins approximately six months after signing the loan agreement in monthly installments of €50.

Don't hesitate to contact us directly with any questions!

Tobias Rick & Kadidja Saruhanoglu
Chairs of the Hifo