Finances

DSW: Improvements to BAföG

BAföG: High rates of need and housing allowance, full utilization of budget funds

  • Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband and Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW) call for substantial improvements to the planned 29th BAföG amendment
  • Expert hearing today in the Bundestag Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment
  • 36% of students at risk of poverty: New short expert report by the Paritätische Forschungsstelle
  • Demands of Paritäter and DSW: Make full use of 150 million euros in budget funds for the amendment, increase the needs-based rates and housing allowance, anchor regular increases, also increase allowances
  • DSW Chairman Matthias Anbuhl: "Not another zero increase in BAföG benefit rates"

Berlin, 5 June 2024: The Paritätische Gesamtverband, the umbrella organization of more than 10,000 member organizations of the independent welfare sector, and Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW), the association of student services organizations, are jointly calling on the Federal Government to make substantial improvements to the current 29th amendment of the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) and, in particular, to make full use of the 150 million euros in budget funds available.

The two associations feel that the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's (BMBF) draft bill for the 29th BAföG amendment is lacking an increase in the BAföG benefit rates and the BAföG flat-rate housing allowance in particular. The BAföG rates must be sufficient to cover living expenses, they explain, and call for a regular increase to be anchored in the law, as is common practice with other state benefits.

Today, Wednesday, 5 June 2024, Paritätische and DSW are invited to an expert hearing of the Bundestag Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment on BAföG. Also today, Paritätische is presenting a new short expert report from its research center on the risk of poverty among students.

Joachim Rock, Head of the Social Affairs and Europe Department and designated Managing Director of Paritätischer Gesamtverband, explains: "Student poverty is real. More than a third of all students live in precarious conditions. In many cities, 800 euros is enough to cover most of the rent and everything else is still unpaid. This makes it impossible to concentrate on your studies, and socially disadvantaged young people in particular suffer as a result." Students need financial freedom to be able to concentrate on their studies. According to Rock, this is the case for fewer and fewer students.

Matthias Anbuhl, Chairman of the Board of Deutsches Studierendenwerk: "This planned BAföG amendment falls short in terms of content and funding, it lacks the power. The money for a substantial improvement, first and foremost an increase in the BAföG requirement rates and the flat-rate housing allowance, is available, 150 million euros from the Bundestag Budget Committee. And the Federal Ministry of Education and Research does not want to make full use of it?

Many students are up to their necks financially. 37% have to get by on less than 800 euros a month. This is according to the 22nd Social Survey on the economic and social situation of students. And yet the Federal Ministry of Education still wants to reduce the BAföG requirement rate and the BAföG flat-rate housing allowance to zero. If the members of Bundestag do not intervene courageously in the parliamentary procedure, students would be fobbed off with another zero round of BAföG rates. This would mean a four-year standstill in BAföG, calculated from the most recent increase in winter 2022/2023 until the next possible increase in 2026, after the 2025 Bundestag elections.

While other state benefits such as citizens' allowance, pensions and housing benefit are regularly increased, BAföG, of all things, is not. I don't begrudge anyone these regular increases - but why aren't they also available for students?"

DSW statement on today's expert hearing in the Bundestag Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment on the 29th BAföG amendment.

This press release online

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