Study and work
Distance learning is the study format of working people. This report shows in figures how many work on the side, how they finance their studies and what that means for time and everyday life.
Almost everyone works on the side
Unlike in on-campus study, employment in distance learning is the rule, not the exception. That shapes every other figure in this report.
In short: Three out of four students at FernUni Hagen are employed. A distance course is therefore overwhelmingly done alongside a job, which shapes the time budget, financing and choice of degree.
Employment in distance learning
are employed
At the state FernUni Hagen, three out of four students are employed alongside their studies. Only a minority study without a job.
Data as a table
| Employment status | Share |
|---|---|
| Employed | 75% |
| Not employed | 25% |
Where the money comes from
Because so many are employed, personal income carries the distance course. It is supplemented by employers and public funding.
There is no robust, nationwide statistic that reports financing sources specifically for distance students in percent. We therefore do not show invented shares, but the clear direction: since three out of four students at FernUni Hagen are employed, personal earned income is the most important source. Many employers contribute when the training fits the job, often tied to a retention agreement.
Added to this are public funding pots and tax deductibility. The distinction matters: the Aufstiegs-BAföG funds vocational advancement training, not every academic distance course. What a distance course really costs and how high the median costs are is set out in the report Costs and funding.
Why the time budget decides everything
When the large majority of distance students work full-time and a considerable share also care for children, it is not the course content that decides success, but the planning. That is exactly what the figures show: distance learning is rarely too hard, but often too tightly timed. Those who plan the weekly hours realistically and protect fixed study times get through. Those who assume they can just let it run on the side fall behind.
Financing also has a time dimension. An employer contribution is often tied to a retention agreement, and public funding usually has to be applied for before the course begins. Both are worthwhile, but they take lead time. How much time a distance course actually eats up is shown in the report on time commitment.
Goes well with this topic
How much time studying eats up, what it costs and how big the market is.
Time commitment
How many hours per week a distance course realistically costs alongside a job.
To the reportCosts and funding
What a distance course costs and how many use funding.
To the reportDistance learning in numbers
How many study remotely, which subjects lead and how the market is growing.
To the reportFurther reading
Background on the everyday reality of distance students.
Frequently asked questions about jobs and financing
Can you manage a distance course alongside a full-time job?
Yes, and most people do exactly that. The large majority of distance students work in parallel, many full-time. What matters is realistic weekly planning and the option to stretch the course if needed. That is exactly what distance degree programmes are designed for.
How do distance students finance their studies?
Above all through their own earned income. In addition, employers often contribute, and there are public funding pots, support from family and, in individual cases, an education loan. The exact shares are shown in the financing graphic.
Does the employer contribute?
Often yes, when the training fits the job. Some employers cover part of the fees, others give paid study time, or both. The contribution is frequently tied to a retention agreement. It is almost always worth asking.
How old are distance students?
At FernUni Hagen the average age is 37.9 years (winter semester 2025/26), significantly higher than in on-campus study. Many are in the middle of working life and have a family. That explains why flexibility and compatibility matter more to this group than the campus.
Sources, method and download
Where the numbers come from, how they are compiled and how you may reuse them with a source reference.
How these numbers are compiled
As the best-documented distance university, FernUniversität in Hagen stands here as a proxy for distance learning. The figures on employment, age and prior education come from its student statistics. Where no robust nationwide figure exists for a question, for example on funding sources, we state the direction instead of a made-up rate.
Sources: FernUniversität in Hagen, facts and figures · German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Aufstiegs-BAföG (AFBG)
Last updated: 02.07.2026. The figures are updated as soon as the sources publish new data.
Does a distance course fit into your everyday life?
Whether studying, work and family can be reconciled for you is best clarified in a personal conversation. At Studienflüsterer the initial consultation is free and without obligation.