Graduate of the neue fische bootcamp “Java Development”
I am very happy to be a member of CHANCEN eG and that I have received the funding. The model is amazing and gives many opportunities – because financing the bootcamp myself would not have been possible for me, even with BAföG. In addition, I was convinced by the fact that ISAs support the next generation: People from a socially disadvantaged background have a chance at education that they would not otherwise have.
After my not so great secondary school graduation, I decided a few years later to catch up on my A-levels at night school. During this time, on the recommendation of a classmate, I applied for the Java Development Bootcamp at neue fische. The founder, Dalia Das, suggested CHANCEN eG as a funding option and so I headed to Berlin for the interview as part of my application. Everything went well. I had very few alternatives: It would have been very complicated to make use of the financial support for additional qualifications offered by the Jobcentre: This support is only available to unemployed people and at the time this was not the case for me. Paying for the bootcamp myself would not have been possible without further support and as student ”BAföG” is also not enough, an ISA was the optimal choice for me.
After graduating with my A-levels I was able to learn a lot at the bootcamp. Bootcamps cover the requirements of the job market well and thus prepare people well for their career start,I had little problems getting started in my profession: I work as a software developer – more specifically, I develop business applications. While working, I am currently working towards passing an exam to become an IT Specialist for Application Development.
Since I had health problems at the scheduled start of repayment in the summer of 2021, I had myself be exempted from repayment. It was easy: I only had to submit a case with the reason for exemption in the CHANCEN portal, which was then checked. Background: I had been given the opportunity by my employer to work part-time to better use my recovery time. This meant that my salary was below the minimum income for repayment. And consequently, the start of repayment was postponed from August 2021 to January 2022.
The advantage of the ISA is that the amount to be repaid is relative to the income and one can be exempted from repayment under special conditions. This is different with a “normal” loan: there is a fixed amount that must be paid off in full by a certain date – regardless of the income level or possible problems that put you temporarily out of action. In addition, ISAs support the next generation: This means that in particular people from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds have a chance to get an education that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.
I am very happy to be a member of CHANCEN eG and to have received the funding. The model is amazing and gives many opportunities – even tuition-free studies are not free, because you also have to finance your daily life.
Information on financing a course at neue fische can be found here.
