As a lesson learned from the corona pandemic, the federal government wants to continue helping students in the future who are losing income from part-time jobs and thus a large part of their livelihood due to national crises.
The cabinet passed a draft law on Wednesday, according to which the Bundestag can determine a corresponding “nationwide emergency” and the government can then expand the group of those entitled to student loans by ordinance.
Especially in the first phase of the corona pandemic, many students had no additional income due to the closure of entire sectors, such as gastronomy.
In particular, those without Bafög entitlement could hardly cover their running costs.
The government reacted, among other things, with subsidies and the assumption of interest on student loans from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).
Legal precautions should now be taken in the event of similar crisis events.
Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) said it should be prevented “that young people have to break off their training or studies because they lost a part-time job.
"The corona pandemic has made it clear how quickly young people can get into financial difficulties." At the same time, the pandemic was "a great burden" for them anyway.
"That's why the new mechanism is also the clear signal that they are seen" and received support, said Stark-Watzinger.
It is now planned that if the emergency situation is determined, those students who are normally not eligible can also receive student loans.
Anyone who can prove their individual needs would receive the money at the general BAföG conditions, without such proof it would be paid in the form of an interest-free loan.
The exact design of the specifications is still open.
The "nationwide emergency situation for trainees with regard to a significant drop in demand on the labor market for jobs accompanying training" would apply for three months after the Bundestag decision.
Parliament could extend it, but it could also be lifted earlier.
The Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW) called the planned new regulation "an important structural step forward".
However, the concrete implementation was "planned too complicated".
The DSW also called for international students in Germany to be able to benefit from the emergency mechanism.