Bafög Recipients at Record Low After 25 Years
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the current student financing system in Germany, particularly BAföG, is facing challenges that require immediate action from the incoming federal government. With rising costs of living and changing student realities, experts are advocating for an adaptation of BAföG funding to better meet the needs of students in 2024.
BAföG, a combination of non-repayable grants and zero-interest government loans, provides financial support to students for the standard study period plus usually one or two additional semesters. Since winter semester 2024/25, BAföG introduced a flexible semester allowance, granting students one additional funded semester without justification, aiding with study extensions or delays. Repayment starts five years after the end of the funding period, capped at around €10,010, with relief options if low postgraduation income restricts repayment ability.
However, despite these adaptations, issues such as underutilization despite eligibility and limited funding duration reveal that BAföG is not fully aligned with the diverse realities faced by students. The average BAföG support amount was around €635 per month in 2024, a decrease from €640 in the previous year.
The distribution of BAföG funding quotas varies significantly between the federal states. For instance, Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have approximately 20% of students receiving BAföG, while Hamburg, Saarland, and Thuringia have around 10%. These discrepancies cannot be solely explained by the economic power of the states, according to Ulrich Müller, head of political analysis at CHE.
Müller emphasizes the need for reform in BAföG and similar offers for years. He attributes the large differences in the numbers to problems with awareness and acceptance, which are exacerbated by a lack of transparency and poor communication.
In 2024, 612,800 people in Germany received BAföG, which is a 4% decrease from the previous year and the lowest number since 2000. Most BAföG beneficiaries were under 25 years old and no longer lived with their parents. Interestingly, more women than men received BAföG in 2024, with 59% of recipients being female and 41% being male.
To address these challenges, supplemental private financing options like Deutsche Bildung’s student loans offer more flexible financing adapted to life realities. These options indicate gaps in BAföG coverage for some student groups or study situations.
In response to these issues, the winter semester 2024/2025 saw the introduction of a new support for students starting their studies: the study start aid, a one-time grant of 1,000 euros for those under 25 who are starting a study for the first time and have previously received social benefits such as unemployment benefit.
Looking ahead, Müller suggests that future-oriented and demand-oriented state study financing looks different. He emphasizes the need for a flexible and comprehensive system, and more orientation and security in financial matters for students. Müller also notes that both students and politicians have silently accepted that study financing is not a state task, but a private matter for those interested in studying, and that the KfW study loan and the education loan are losing importance.
In conclusion, while BAföG has made strides in adapting to changing student needs, it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that this vital support system aligns fully with the diverse realities faced by students in 2024. The introduction of new support measures, such as the study start aid, and ongoing policy adjustments reflect attempts to better tailor study financing to modern student life.
This article was written by Alexandra Ilina, a journalist who has worked as a Social Media Manager, Redakteurin, and Buchautorin.
[1] Source: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung [2] Source: Statistisches Bundesamt [3] Source: Deutsche Bildung [5] Source: CHE Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung
- In light of the shifts in student lifestyles and personal-finance needs, experts like Ulrich Müller argue that it's crucial for the incoming federal government to further revise BAföG to better match the needs of students in 2024, especially as current funding may not fully align with diverse student realities.
- To complement BAföG and cater to the financial demands of specific student groups or unique study scenarios, there's growing interest in private finance solutions, such as Deutsche Bildung’s student loans, that offer more adaptable financing to mirror real-life circumstances.
