Germany's federal states are calling on the federal government to carry out a comprehensive reform of the Bafög student financial aid system. The Bundesrat voted on Friday in favour of an initiative put forward by several states, highlighting that only around twelve percent of students currently receive Bafög, the lowest figure since the year 2000. The states called on the federal government to implement the measures outlined in the coalition agreement in a single comprehensive reform step. Numerous associations have joined the call.
Among the specific demands, the states are calling for an increase in the flat-rate housing allowance and an adjustment of the basic needs rate for Bafög recipients to bring it in line with basic income support levels. The program must also be fundamentally simplified, they argued, with the possible introduction of flat-rate support payments to ease the application process. Approval periods spanning several semesters are also being proposed.
The states are additionally calling for the application process to be fully digitalised and for data already held by the state to be used, subject to data protection requirements, to streamline applications.
"We need to bring Bafög closer to the actual reality of students' lives," said Armin Willingmann (SPD), Science Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, speaking in the Bundesrat. Bettina Martin (SPD), Science Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, added that many students are having to work on the side just to get by. "Every euro we invest will pay off many times over," she said.
Timon Gremmels (SPD), Research and Science Minister of Hesse, stressed that the federal government's Bafög reform must now be tackled swiftly in collaboration with the states. "Students must have the certainty that they can start a degree without financial worries," he said.
The demands of the federal states are backed by numerous trade unions and associations, including the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), the Verdi union and the German National Association for Student Affairs. "Sharply rising rents in university cities, higher food and energy prices are putting enormous pressure on the younger generation," they said in a joint statement, calling on the federal government to "swiftly bring the Bafög reform promised in the coalition agreement to parliament."
"It would send a fatal signal if the governing parties failed to keep their Bafög promise from the coalition agreement," the associations warned. "All democratic parties must make clear that they take the concerns of the younger generation seriously."
Verdi board member Sylvia Bühler said a Bafög reform was long overdue. "A university degree must not depend on whether you have wealthy parents. The fact that so many students today have to take on extensive paid work to finance their studies is not a good development," she said.
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