When rent and semester costs pass through a current account, an arranged overdraft can feel like a convenient buffer. It can also conceal a recurring gap between spending and income. The key question is whether a specific expected payment will clear the balance or whether the debt simply carries into the next semester.

Examine the pattern, not the credit limit

Look at account balances immediately before and after regular income arrives. If the account briefly becomes positive after payday and then falls further into debt, the underlying budget may not balance. The unused credit limit does not answer that question. It represents scope for additional borrowing, not personal financial room.

Record interest as a separate expense. When charges merely deepen the negative balance, they are easy to miss in daily life. Check whether the amount used remains within the agreed facility and which conditions actually apply. Do not rely on an old rate or assume that an unarranged excess will continue to be accepted.

Calculate a route back to a positive balance

In an invented example, a €360 negative balance and a genuine €60 monthly surplus would take six months to clear before additional costs. Without that surplus, postponing spending does not create a repayment plan. A useful calculation must already include necessary living expenses and ongoing borrowing costs.

Another loan instalment is not automatically a solution. It may create a different payment structure, but the household still has to afford it. Consumer advice guidance notes that combining or postponing commitments does not itself make an overstretched budget sustainable. Compare overall costs and remaining monthly money before taking on a new obligation.

Involve support early

If essential bills can no longer be paid reliably, collect statements, demands and dependable income details for an advice appointment. Your Studierendenwerk can review student funding; an appropriate debt-advice service becomes relevant when several debts cannot be serviced. Contact payees early where a due date is at risk and keep a clear record of any agreement.

For future semesters, plan separately for predictable larger expenses. A semester contribution is not an unexpected emergency when its date and amount are known. Once the account is back in credit, improvement should be visible in a lasting budget balance, rather than only in a newly increased borrowing limit.