Bafög recipients should get five percent more money for the winter semester. In addition, the circle of possible recipients is to be expanded by increasing the parental allowance by 20 percent.
This provides for a student loan reform that is to be launched in the cabinet this Wednesday. The law then has to go through the Bundestag and Bundesrat. According to the draft by Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP), the Bafög rate for students should increase from 427 to 449 euros per month due to the increased cost of living. The housing allowance for those who still live at home is to be raised from 56 to 59 euros. Those who no longer live with their parents should receive 360 euros instead of 325 euros for the rent.
Continuously falling number of Bafög recipients
Students in a shared apartment could thus get 809 euros instead of the previous 725 euros. Those who no longer have family insurance through their parents and also receive supplements for health and nursing care insurance through the Bafög could in future achieve a maximum Bafög amount of 931 instead of 861 euros.
The background to the amendment is the number of Bafög recipients, which has fallen continuously over the past ten years. After a high of 979,000 (including student loans) in 2012, the number last year was only 639,000. According to Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW), one of the reasons for this is that the service has not been sufficiently reformed, expanded and adapted to new realities of life over the years. “We now want to turn the tide and finally increase the number of Bafög recipients again,” said Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) to the “DSW-Journal” of the German student union.
Money for babysitters during courses
In order to enlarge the group of recipients, 2400 euros of the monthly parental income should remain exempt from deductions. So far it’s 2000 euros. And students should be able to earn 330 euros in a part-time job without affecting the Bafög amount – currently it’s still 290 euros. In addition to the increase in student loans and allowances, there are also plans to raise the childcare allowance for students with children from 150 to 160 euros – the money is intended for babysitters, for example, when courses are held in the evening.
Funding is also to be increased for pupils and trainees. In addition, there are plans to raise the age limit from 30 at the start of student loans to 45, so that studies can also be started later. According to the plans of the traffic light coalition, this reform is only the first step. In the long term, the Bafög is to become “more independent of parents”, in that the basic child security plan planned by the SPD, Greens and FDP is paid directly to students – as the “basic basis for student financing”, as Stark-Watzinger said.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220406-99-812278/3
