Parental leave:
the most underrated window for a degree
Studying is not gainful employment.
It therefore falls outside the earnings limits of parental leave, needs no employer approval and does not reduce your parental allowance. For many people this is the only phase in their working life where time and financial security exist at the same time. The honest part: with a newborn in the first six months it is usually too early.
Why a degree is treated differently from a job here
The key distinction is simple but rarely drawn cleanly: studying is not employment.
Parental leave limits how much you may work. Studying is not work within those rules, it is education. Three things follow: it does not count towards the permissible weekly hours, it does not reduce your parental allowance, and your employer neither has to approve it nor even know about it.
The line runs where studying becomes a paid activity: a remunerated practical semester, a working student role, a paid compulsory placement. That is employment and follows the normal rules, including notification and offsetting against parental allowance. Anyone choosing a programme with a compulsory practical phase should settle this point in advance.
The same logic applies to parental allowance: it replaces employment income that has fallen away. Studying produces none, so it reduces nothing. Even so, in unusual constellations, such as a scholarship with the character of remuneration or self-employed side work, it is worth asking the parental allowance office before the decision arrives.
What is actually possible in which phase
The question is not whether you may study, but how much is possible when during the first year.
Months 1 to 4: do not start
Sleep deprivation, recovery, everything new. Starting a degree in this phase burns money and motivation. Use the time to choose, not to study modules.
Months 5 to 12: the entry point
The daily rhythm becomes more predictable and planable windows appear. Eight to twelve hours a week is realistic, which is roughly five to eight credits per semester and therefore a clearly stretched time model.
From month 12: the real engine
With childcare or a reliable second parent, 15 to 20 hours become possible, roughly ten to thirteen credits per semester. This is where most of the progress happens.
Short units beat long ones
What counts is not total hours but whether the material breaks into 20-minute blocks. Written materials and videos work better than live formats.
Multiple exam dates are essential
An infection in exam week is not the exception, it is normal. Programmes with only one date per module and semester are the wrong choice here.
Plan buffer, not discipline
A plan built on perfect weeks fails at the first bad one. Expect six to eight weeks a year in which nothing at all happens. Without a second adult in the household that applies twice over, which is why there is a separate page for single parents.
Four decisions that make the difference
Here the choice of programme decides success more than any study technique.
Choose the slowest time model
The same programmes usually exist at several speeds. Take the longest variant. It costs less per month, lowers the pressure, and you can always speed up. The reverse switch often comes with a fee, and the frustration arrives first.
Exhaust recognition first
Every recognised module is one you do not have to study in this phase. Vocational training, further education, years of work and earlier study credits frequently count. During parental leave recognition is therefore worth more than in any other stage of life, because it does not save money, it saves weeks.
Check exam format and dates
Online examinations from home are worth more here than any campus facility. Ask specifically: how many examination dates per module and year? Can I postpone without giving a reason? Does an attempt lapse if I do not appear? Those three answers matter more than the university's reputation.
Know the exit before you need it
Before signing, settle how the university handles a leave of absence and whether the fee rests during it. Leave for parental duties is usually not counted against the allowance. Knowing this route reduces withdrawals, because a difficult phase then no longer triggers a decision of principle.
The information on this page is general in nature and based on my advisory practice (last updated 02.08.2026). It does not replace an official credit transfer or recognition decision by the respective university and is not legal advice. Specific decisions are made by universities, the ZAB (Germany), the BMBWF (Austria), or the SBFI (Switzerland). I clarify binding next steps with you in the initial consultation.
Allowance, employer and the realistic workload
Six answers to what should be settled before you enrol.
Am I allowed to study during parental leave?
Yes. Studying is not gainful employment, so it falls outside the earnings limits of German parental leave and needs no approval from your employer. It is different for paid internships or working student roles that form part of the programme: that is work and follows the usual rules.
Does studying affect my parental allowance?
Parental allowance is calculated on the employment income you forgo. Studying generates no income and therefore does not reduce it. Caution is only needed where the programme includes a paid activity, such as a remunerated practical semester. Clarify such cases with the parental allowance office in advance.
Do I have to tell my employer?
Legally you do not have to report a degree taken during parental leave as long as it is not gainful employment. In practice the conversation is still worthwhile, because some employers cover tuition fees or offer a suitable position afterwards. Watch out for any repayment clause attached to that.
Is distance learning realistic with a baby?
In the first six months rarely, after that more often than people think. What matters is not the total number of hours but whether the material can be broken into short, interruptible units. Plan with a slower time model and expect weeks in which nothing at all happens.
What about student funding and child benefit?
German BAföG has particular provisions for students with children, including a childcare supplement and the option to extend the maximum funding period. Child benefit for your child is paid regardless of your studies. Whether you still receive child benefit yourself depends on your age and training status.
What if it does not work out?
Then you pause instead of withdrawing. At most universities a leave of absence for parental duties is not counted against the maximum number of leave semesters, making it the best protected ground there is. Credits already earned remain intact.
A plan that holds in bad weeks too
Which programme fits your window, how much can be recognised, and which month is the right one to start?