The number of Bafög recipients has fallen further: according to the latest figures, in 2017 around 557,000 students and 225,000 pupils were supported. This emerges from a response from the Federal Ministry of Education to a small request from the Greens in the Bundestag.
This continues the trend: Since 2013, the number of beneficiaries has fallen, and within four years, there are almost 180,000 Bafög recipients less.
The problem: "Even with the planned amendment, the loss of importance of Bafög will not be stopped," said the green education expert Kai Gehring, citing the current bill to increase the student loan.
student loans
What is Bafög?
Bafög is the abbreviation for Federal Training Promotion Act. The grant, which was introduced in 1971, aims to enable young people to complete training irrespective of their social and economic situation.
Who gets Bafög?
In principle, young people with German citizenship as well as foreigners who have a perspective of staying in Germany and are socially integrated are supported. Trainees can usually only be promoted if they start the education they are seeking for support before reaching the age of 30, or for Master's programs before the age of 35.
How many students receive the Bafög maximum rate?
In 2017, around 229,000 were fully funded by around 557,000 students who received Bafög. The level of education depends on various factors, for example, whether the students still live with their parents or in a shared flat, whether they study abroad or in Germany, how many siblings they have and how high their own wealth is. At present, the maximum rate for students who do not live with their parents is 735 euros. By 2020, the maximum rate should rise to 850 euros.
How do you pay back the student loan?
Bafög recipients do not have to repay the entire grant, but only a part, since Bafög is paid half as a loan and half as a grant. For the repayment, they usually have 20 years time. You can pay for it in one go or in installments. Who pays it at once, gets a part. With the repayment they have to start five years after the end of the Bafög funding period. A maximum of 10,000 euros must be repaid.
Although, according to a bill by Education Minister Anja Karliczek (CDU), which will soon be launched by the Federal Cabinet, the income tax exemption of parents in three steps by 2021 by a total of 16 percent will be raised. This increases the number of Bafög beneficiaries.
But Gehring points out that the federal government is only counting on around 35,000 additional beneficiaries. This concludes the Green politician due to the expected additional effort, which specifies the Federal Government for processing.
Gehring spoke of a "fatal crash of this important equal opportunity law". An end to this development is not in sight.
In order to stop this development, the funding rates and allowances would have to rise by at least ten percent by the next semester, Gehring demanded - automatically and regularly thereafter.