Bafög recipients get more money
The Bafög rate for students will be raised from 427 to 452 euros per month. Anyone who no longer lives with their parents can also get 360 euros instead of the previous 325 euros for the rent. Photo: Andrea Warnecke/dpa
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The number of Bafög recipients has been falling for years. According to the traffic light coalition, they now want to reverse the trend – with a reform in several steps. The first step: More money and higher allowances.
Bafög recipients will receive more money in the winter semester. With the votes of the traffic light coalition and the left, the Bundestag decided on an almost six percent increase in student loans and a significant increase in tax allowances and protective assets.
This is intended to increase the circle of those entitled to Bafög. The rates will also be increased for students and trainees. Union and AfD voted against the reform.
In the past ten years, the number of recipients has steadily decreased. “The funding so far has excluded too many. We are reversing this trend, »said Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP). The traffic light coalition had added something because of the inflation, originally a Bafög increase of five percent was planned. Student representatives and the German Student Union nevertheless criticize the increase as too low.
Criticism of the opposition: “reform”
The left-wing politician Nicole Gohlke spoke in the Bundestag of “a bit of cosmetics” and accused the traffic light of being unworldly. “Inflation eats up the Bafög increase completely, there’s nothing left.” The CSU education politician Katrin Staffler called the law a “reform” that falls short.
The coalition defended the plan. In the course of the reform of the student loans, two billion euros will be made available in the coming years. The law that has now been passed is only the first step. According to the plans of the traffic light, the Bafög should become “more independent of parents” in the long term, in that the basic child security plan planned by the SPD, Greens and FDP will be paid directly to students – as the “basic basis of study financing”. The AfD criticized a “watering can principle”. “Studying is an opportunity, but not a state-guaranteed human right for everyone,” said their education policy spokesman Götz Frömming.
The new regulations in detail:
Bafög rate – The Bafög rate for students will be raised from 427 to 452 euros per month. Anyone who no longer lives with their parents can also get 360 euros instead of the previous 325 euros for the rent. Students who have health and long-term care insurance themselves and no longer through their parents receive higher supplements.
Allowances – In order to increase the number of recipients, 2415 euros of the monthly parental income should remain exempt from deductions. So far it’s 2000 euros. Other allowances will also be increased, for example for married couples and students with children.
Protective assets – Under 30-year-olds should be allowed to own 15,000 euros, over 30-year-olds 45,000 euros, without this being counted towards the Bafög. So far, the protective assets are generally 8200 euros.
Part-time jobs – Students should be able to earn 330 euros in a part-time job without affecting the Bafög amount – currently it is 290 euros.
Childcare allowance – Students who already have children can in future receive a childcare allowance of 160 euros per month instead of the previous 150 euros. The money is intended for babysitters, for example, when there are courses in the evening.
Age limit – If you want to start studying later, you can also get Bafög in the future. The age limit is raised from 30 to 45 years.
Pupils and trainees – Pupils and trainees who live abroad can in future receive 632 euros instead of the previous 585 euros.