Subsidies for block courses at vocational schools – this is what the federal states pay

Block courses at a vocational school may involve off-site accommodation. We show which federal states provide subsidies for accommodation, meals, and travel expenses, and where they can be applied for.

Attending a vocational school is part of the dual vocational training system. However, not every trainee can attend a vocational school near them. Especially in professions with few trainees – so-called niche professions – vocational school students are taught in district, regional, state, or national specialized classes. Commuting daily from North Rhine-Westphalia to Schleswig-Holstein or from Brandenburg to Thuringia is unreasonable for trainees. Therefore, vocational school instruction is organized differently.

Instead of one or two classes per week, instruction takes place in full week-long blocks. This means that trainees may be at vocational school from Monday to Friday. To participate in block instruction , vocational students need accommodation such as a dormitory. This off-site accommodation for trainees and vocational students, however, involves costs . Most German states provide a subsidy so that trainees and vocational students can (partially) cover the costs of off-site accommodation , meals , and travel .

Block teaching: subsidies from the federal states

(as of August 2026)

Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state provides a subsidy for accommodation (e.g., in a youth hostel) of up to €40,50 per day . In addition, Baden-Württemberg pays a subsidy for meals of up to €6,70 per day.

Details can be found in the " Administrative Regulation of the Ministry of Education on Block Instruction at Vocational Schools in Baden-Württemberg and Grants to Vocational School Students ".

Apply for a grant

If the student attends school outside of Baden-Württemberg, the subsidy can be applied for at the Stuttgart Regional Council. If the student attends school in Baden-Württemberg, the subsidy can be applied for through the vocational school. Application forms are available from the Stuttgart Regional Council or from the schools themselves.

Bayern

Bavaria contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state covers the full cost of accommodation . In addition , Bavaria pays a meal allowance of up to €9,50 per day . The students' own contribution to the meal costs is €5,10.

Details can be found in §8 of the " Regulation for the Implementation of the Bavarian School Financing Act " and " Cost Reimbursement and Subsidy according to Art. 10 Para. 8 Bavarian School Financing Act for Vocational School Students in Case of Necessary Off-Site Accommodation ".

Berlin

Berlin contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state provides a subsidy of €24 per day . Details regarding the funding (currently valid until the end of July 2029) can be found in the " Administrative Regulations on the Granting of Subsidies for the Promotion of Vocational Training in the State of Berlin " (PDF document).

Apply for a grant

The grant can be applied for at the Berlin Chamber of Skilled Crafts. The application form is available online from the Berlin Chamber of Skilled Crafts (submit a grant application as an apprentice).

Brandenburg

Brandenburg contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state grants a subsidy for accommodation and meals of up to €15 per day . Of this, a maximum of €10 per day is allocated to accommodation costs and a maximum of €5 per day to meals.

Details regarding funding can be found in the " Guidelines for granting subsidies to pupils with a vocational training contract under the Vocational Training Act or the Crafts and Trades Code for the costs of accommodation and meals in the case of necessary accommodation away from home " (the guidelines will expire on July 31, 2027).

Apply for a grant

The grant can be applied for at the school authority responsible for the upper secondary schools – the districts and independent cities. The application form (PDF document) is available in the database " Bravors - Brandenburg Regulations System ".

Bremen

Bremen does not contribute to the costs of external accommodation for trainees and vocational school students.

Hamburg

Hamburg contributes to the costs of accommodation for trainees and vocational school students away from home. The city provides a subsidy of up to €29 per school day for accommodation such as boarding schools, youth hostels, hotels, or guesthouses, or €8 per school day for accommodation in private homes or holiday apartments . Hamburg also pays a subsidy of up to €7 per school day for meals (also in private accommodation).

The amount of the subsidy may be lower. Details can be found in the " Guidelines on the granting of subsidies for accommodation and meals for students of vocational schools ".

Apply for a grant

The grant can be applied for at the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Training (HIBB). The application form is available from the HIBB.

Hessen

Hesse contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state provides a subsidy of 20 euros per day for accommodation and meals.

Furthermore, Hesse grants a travel allowance starting in the second year of vocational training (level 1). This allowance is tiered . The amount of the allowance depends on the distance to the vocational school . The maximum allowance is €1.800 (for vocational schools more than 400 kilometers away). A personal contribution of €365 per school year is deducted.

Details regarding funding can be found in the " Regulation on the organization and teaching in the specialist classes of the vocational school " (valid until December 31, 2033).

Apply for a grant

The subsidies can be applied for at the State School Authority for the Marburg-Biedenkopf district. The forms for confirming the training company, vocational school, and accommodation, as well as the online application, are available from the State School Authorities in Hesse.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania only contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students if their monthly training allowance does not exceed €750 gross. The state grants a flat -rate accommodation subsidy of € 350 per school year.

Furthermore, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern provides a subsidy for travel expenses . This subsidy is tiered. The amount depends on the distance to the vocational school . The maximum subsidy is €560 per school year (for vocational schools more than 300 kilometers away).

Details regarding funding can be found in the " Guideline for granting subsidies from the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to pupils of vocational schools for the costs of accommodation and travel expenses in the case of necessary accommodation away from home " (valid until 31 March 2030).

Apply for a grant

The subsidies can be applied for at the Ministry of Education and Child Daycare . Application forms are available on the MV service portal .

Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony does not contribute to the costs of external accommodation for trainees and vocational school students (see also the answer of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education to a minor inquiry from the CDU in May 2025 - PDF document ).

North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state grants a subsidy for accommodation of up to 20 euros per day of instruction.

In addition, North Rhine-Westphalia grants a subsidy of up to 50 euros towards travel expenses for trainees in niche professions.

Details regarding funding can be found in the decree " State subsidy for the costs of necessary accommodation for attending vocational school away from home " and in the decree " Student travel expenses; reimbursement of costs from state funds for students with disabilities, vocational school students in niche occupations and unemployed young people of compulsory vocational school age ".

Apply for a grant

The subsidies can be applied for at the relevant district government . The application form for the accommodation subsidy is available online.

Rheinland-Pfalz

Rhineland-Palatinate contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state grants a subsidy for accommodation and meals of up to €6,90 per day.

In addition, Rhineland-Palatinate grants a subsidy towards travel costs of up to 3 euros per day.

Details regarding funding can be found in the administrative regulation " Subsidies for accommodation and meal costs as well as travel expenses for vocational school students in block release courses " (valid until December 31, 2029).

Apply for a grant

The subsidies can be applied for at the Supervisory and Service Directorate (ADD). Application forms are available from the ADD .

Saarland

The Saarland contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state provides a subsidy for accommodation and meals of up to €25 per calendar day (including Saturdays and Sundays between block release weeks). Trainees who are already 21 years old at the start of their training are no longer entitled to this subsidy.

Details regarding funding can be found in the " Guidelines for granting subsidies for accommodation and meal costs to vocational school students attending block release courses outside of Saarland " (valid until January 15, 2031), which is available in the Electronic Administrative Regulations Information System Saarland (ELVIS).

Apply for a grant

For trainees in niche trades in Saarland to attend vocational school in another federal state, the training company must apply for a release permit from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The granted release permit entitles the trainee to a subsidy for the costs of accommodation and meals away from home. The subsidy can be applied for informally at the school supervisory authority.

Saxony

Saxony contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state provides a subsidy for accommodation and meals of at least 16 euros per day.

Details regarding funding can be found in the " Saxon Student Accommodation Benefits Ordinance ".

Apply for a grant

The grant can be applied for at the district and independent city offices. The application form and an information sheet are available from the Saxon State Office for Schools and Education.

Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt contributes to the costs of accommodation for trainees and vocational school students attending school away from home. The state provides a subsidy for accommodation . If the vocational school is located in Saxony-Anhalt , trainees and vocational school students receive a flat rate of €45 per school week . If the vocational school is located outside of Saxony-Anhalt , trainees and vocational school students receive a flat rate of €70 per school week.

In addition, Saxony-Anhalt grants a subsidy for travel costs of a flat rate of 20 euros per school week.

Details regarding funding can be found in the " Guidelines on the granting of subsidies for the promotion of trainees attending school outside the state of Saxony-Anhalt ".

Apply for a grant

Applications for subsidies can be submitted to the State School Authority of Saxony-Anhalt. The application form is available from the State School Authority of Saxony-Anhalt .

Schleswig Holstein

Schleswig-Holstein contributes to the costs of accommodation away from home for trainees and vocational school students. The state grants a subsidy towards accommodation costs of up to 350 euros per calendar year.

Details regarding funding can be found in the guideline " Guideline on the granting of subsidies for the costs of accommodation in the case of necessary off-site accommodation for pupils of vocational schools " (limited until 31 December 2027).

Apply for a grant

The grant can be applied for at the Schleswig-Holstein Institute for Vocational Training (SHIBB). The application form is available from SHIBB.

Thuringia

Thuringia will no longer contribute to the costs of external accommodation for trainees and vocational school students.

Until December 31, 2020, Thuringia provided a housing allowance of up to €8 per day , as well as a travel allowance . The travel allowance was based on the amount of the training allowance . Up to €450, 80 percent of the documented travel costs were covered; up to €500, 60 percent; up to €550 , 40 percent; and up to €600, 20 percent. The travel allowance included the cost of a suitable railcard.

Apply for grants

Applications for subsidies could be submitted to the State School Offices in Thuringia until December 31, 2020 .

As of: August 2026

Information from the Ministers of Education: The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs ( KMK ) unites the ministers of education of all 16 federal states. They also discuss the establishment of cross-state vocational classes for trainees in so-called niche occupations. A list of all vocational training occupations for which cross-state classes are being established can be found on the KMK website.

Youth housing

Trainees attending block release courses at a vocational school who need accommodation in another city or state can find suitable options through various youth housing providers. These providers offer single or double rooms and sometimes also provide educational support. Examples of such providers include Kolping , Caritas, Diakonie, and Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO). The initiative " Auswärts Zuhause " (Away from Home) offers a directory of approximately 500 youth housing facilities.

Vocational training allowance

Trainees who have to move out of their home for their training and rent their own apartment in another location are supported by the Federal Employment Agency under certain conditions with a monthly subsidy – the vocational training allowance ( BAB ).

If you are entitled to BAB

For trainees receiving vocational training assistance (BAB), the calculation for the period of block release at vocational school is based on the same need that would apply without the block release (§ 65 para. 1 SGB III). "Vocational training assistance is therefore paid at the same rate during block release at vocational school as during on-the-job training," clarifies the Federal Employment Agency.

If the trainee incurs higher expenses due to block release courses at vocational school (e.g., for boarding school accommodation, additional travel costs), these are not taken into account for vocational training assistance. The same applies to any lower expenses that may arise during block release courses at vocational school.

The subsidies/benefits from the federal states are intended to cover the additional costs incurred by block release courses at vocational schools. They do not affect the amount of vocational training assistance.

Without entitlement to BAB

Funding through vocational training assistance solely for the period of block release courses at vocational school is excluded (§ 65 para. 2 SGB III). Trainees who are not entitled to vocational training assistance during their on-the-job training cannot receive vocational training assistance during their block release courses at vocational school either.

Transparency note: This article was originally published at an earlier date. Due to its continued relevance and topicality, it was editorially revised in August 2026.

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