In some subjects, a stay abroad is a compulsory part of the examination regulations; in other subjects, mobility has become more important. Organizing a semester abroad with children might be more complex, but it is definitely not impossible.
Your faculty’s Erasmus+-programme commissioner offers support and counselling in planning your stay abroad. Furthermore, you can contact the FamilyService and the Göttingen International Department for support.
To get an overview of potential destinations, we recommend the website “Auslandsstudium mit Kind”, where you can find reports on other’s experiences and further information. Unfortunately, this site is only available in German.
FAQ
First, it is important to decide on a destination and ideally on a specific university as well. The conditions regarding a semester abroad with children might differ widely from country to country and from university to university.
The costs for childcare will also differ depending on where you spend your semester abroad and what kind of childcare you choose. The International Office at your university abroad can provide the best information on this.
Here it is worth talking to the day-care centre where your child is cared for. There may be an option to negotiate a readmission after your return from abroad.
Contact your host university for more information on renting a flat abroad. The University of Göttingen and the Studentenwerk’s welfare service can support you in contacting the partner universities. You might find an interim solution for your flat in Germany. It is possible to rent out your flat non-permanently to the university’s international guests. If you are interested in this, you can contact Göttingen International.
We recommend you to have a look at the website Auslandsstudium mit Kind, which is hosted by the Best Practice Club “Familie in der Hochschule”, in which the University of Göttingen also participates. Unfortunately, the site is only available in German. There you can find reports on experiences by other students who have spent a semester abroad with children. The reports can alert you to potential obstacles and give you further information on what you should take into consideration.
Here it is important to distinguish whether you are spending your semester abroad within the EU or outside the EU. As far as insurance coverage is concerned, you should make sure that all family members are adequately covered. First, you go to your health insurance company to find out to what extent your current health insurance covers stays in your country of destination and what conditions apply.
That can be very different. If, for example, you go abroad with Erasmus+, you always get the letter of acceptance in March, and your stay abroad starts in September of the same year. For a self-organised stay, which is to be financed, for example, by Auslands-BAföG, you need at least half a year to plan your stay.
If you receive BAföG, you should consider receiving Auslands-BAföG as well. The higher rates of financial support for studying abroad can mean that you can receive support even if you are not entitled to Bafög in Germany due to the income of your parents. In addition, you should know that the Auslands-BAföG does not affect your maximum funding period. Auslands-BAföG also includes allowances for travel costs and tuition fees. You can find more information on this topic here. Furthermore, you should know that the country of destination is decisive for the processing of applications for the Auslands-BAföG. Accordingly, you do not submit your application to the Studentenwerk of your home university, but to the office responsible for your country of destination. You can find the office responsible via this website. The Göttingen International Department can give you further information on funding opportunities (for example, Erasmus +). In the Erasmus + funding programme, a special grant for students with children can be applied for. . It can also be worth going to your faculty's Equal Opportunities Officer. For example, the Equal Opportunities Officer of the Faculty of Social Sciences supports students with children with a travel allowance.