Educational Leave for Your Degree: How to Use the Time Off Right

Many employed people in Austria knew educational leave (Bildungskarenz) as one of the best ways to free up time for a degree: release from work, a continuing education allowance from the AMS (Austrian Public Employment Service), and your job was kept for you. How the model worked and why its successor is stricter is what I put in context here.

What Was Educational Leave (Bildungskarenz)?

Bildungskarenz was an agreement between you and your employer. You were released from work for 2 to 12 months. During this time, you received a continuing education allowance (Weiterbildungsgeld) from the AMS. This corresponded to the amount of unemployment benefit you would have been entitled to. Your job was kept for you.

Educational leave can also be taken in parts, for example 3 months now and 3 months in the next semester. Within a 4-year period, you are entitled to a total of 12 months.

Requirements for Educational Leave

Not everyone can apply for educational leave. There are clear requirements:

• 6 months of continuous employment with your current employer (for fixed-term contracts: 3 months)
• Consent from your employer (there is no legal entitlement)
• At least 20 hours per week of verifiable continuing education
• The educational measure must be professionally relevant or a degree at a recognised university

The point about 20 hours per week is critical. The AMS checks this. You need a confirmation from your university about the weekly workload. Distance learning programmes with sufficient ECTS volume usually meet this requirement without any problem.

Continuing Education Allowance: How Much Do You Receive?

The continuing education allowance corresponds to the notional unemployment benefit. This is typically 55 percent of your last net income. The minimum amount is around 14.53 euros per day (as of 2024). Payment is made monthly by the AMS.

Important: during educational leave, you are permitted to earn a marginal amount on the side. The current marginal earnings threshold is 518.44 euros per month (2024). This gives you some financial flexibility.

How to Apply for Educational Leave

The process is clearly structured:

• Step 1: Secure your study place and obtain a confirmation of the weekly workload
• Step 2: Reach an agreement with your employer (in writing)
• Step 3: Submit the application to the AMS, ideally 4 to 6 weeks before the start date
• Step 4: Begin your educational leave and regularly provide the AMS with evidence of your continuing education

Educational Part-Time as an Alternative

You did not want to step away from your job entirely? Then educational part-time (Bildungsteilzeit) was an option. You reduced your working hours by 25 to 50 percent and received an educational part-time allowance from the AMS for the difference. The model ran for 4 months to 2 years and was suited for part-time study programmes.

The advantage: you stayed active in your job and still had significantly more study time. The downside: the bureaucratic effort was somewhat higher, because the change in working hours had to be precisely agreed with your employer. Important: educational part-time also expired on 31.03.2025 and is part of the Weiterbildungszeit successor model.

Common Mistakes with Educational Leave

• Applying too late: The AMS needs lead time. Anyone who submits their application 2 weeks before the start of their programme risks delays in payment.
• Forgetting the workload confirmation: Without a confirmation from your university about the 20 weekly hours, the application will be rejected.
• Not involving your employer: Educational leave requires your employer's consent. Bring it up early and plan together.
• Choosing the wrong programme: Not every programme meets the AMS criteria. Check beforehand whether your degree programme is recognised as an educational measure.

Conclusion

Educational leave for studying was for years a powerful instrument for everyone working in Austria who wanted to pursue further education. It was abolished in 2025 and replaced by the stricter Weiterbildungszeit. If you are planning a full degree or a focused certificate via continuing education in Austria today, first read the current rules in the post Austria's New Weiterbildungszeit From 2026. Which programmes meet the criteria and what the consultation process looks like is best clarified directly: book a free initial consultation.