Beneficiaries of Bafög underscore an all-time record low
The number of students and pupils receiving financial aid from the BAföG programme in Germany has dropped to a record low, with 612,800 recipients in 2023. This decline is attributed to structural and eligibility changes, demographic shifts, and potential economic factors, although the exact causes are complex and multifaceted.
BAföG, a financial aid programme for students who meet certain residence and enrollment conditions, has seen a drop of 4 percent compared to the previous year. Most of the recipients in 2023 were students (483,800), followed by pupils (129,000). The federal government's expenditure on BAföG support fell by 9 percent or 316 million euros in 2023, to 3.1 billion euros.
Women were more often supported than men, with 59 percent of recipients being women and 41 percent being men. The average monthly BAföG support amount in 2023 was 635 euros, down from 640 euros in the previous year.
In an effort to address this decline, proposed changes to BAföG include expanding access conditions, increasing funding amounts, and adjusting the eligibility criteria to better reflect current student needs and living costs. However, detailed proposals from recent official sources are limited in the provided search results.
One such proposal is the introduction of a new support instrument, the "Study Start Allowance", which will be offered for the winter semester 2024/2025. This one-time financial grant of 1,000 euros is aimed at people who are starting their studies, not those who are already receiving BAföG. The Study Start Allowance is provided independently of any possible monthly BAföG receipt, and is aimed at people under 25 years of age who are receiving certain social benefits before starting their studies and who are enrolling for the first time, mainly due to unemployment benefit.
The BAföG reform, including the increased housing cost allowance and basic requirement, is part of the federal government's coalition agreement. The housing cost allowance included in BAföG is set to increase from 380 to 440 euros per month from the winter semester 2026/2027. The BAföG basic requirement of 475 euros per month is also set to increase in two steps from 2027.
Critics of the current BAföG system, such as the German Student Union, have long argued that the support has been too low and not reaching enough students. They demand that it be higher, simpler, and more digital. Elke Hannack, deputy chair of the German Trade Union Confederation, also emphasized the need for action on BAföG based on the recently published figures.
Continuous reform discussions in Germany’s education policy seek to make BAföG more inclusive and adequately funded, responding to the historic low recipient numbers. This reflects initiatives by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and other bodies to support diverse student populations and promote access for disadvantaged groups. Recent efforts to broaden access include provisions allowing older students (over 45) to apply and recognizing war refugees, such as those from Ukraine, who have appropriate residence permits.
References:
[1] Federal Ministry of Education and Research (2023). BAföG figures for 2023. Retrieved from https://www.bmbf.de/de/bafoeg-zahlen-2023-6443.html
[4] Federal Ministry of Education and Research (2023). Education policy reforms in Germany. Retrieved from https://www.bmbf.de/de/bildungspolitische-reformen-in-deutschland-14605.html
The recent drop in BAföG recipients highlights the need for education policy reforms, particularly in vocational training and education-and-self-development sectors, given the decline in financial aid for students and pupils. This situation has led to discussions in politics and general news about the community policy, aiming to make BAföG more inclusive and adequately funded, with proposals for increasing funding amounts and access conditions.
