Stark-Watzinger: BAföG reform comes into force in the winter semester

After a long debate, the federal government has agreed on the BAföG reform. According to Education Minister Stark-Watzinger, it will come into force in the 2024/25 winter semester. The allowances should be increased.

The coordination between the ministries took a long time. The BAföG reform has now been agreed upon within the federal government and is due to be approved by the cabinet next week, as Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) said exclusively in an interview with ARD capital studio says: “That was our promise to modernize and adapt BAföG and that’s why I’m very happy that we were actually able to implement our promise in this legislative period.”

The allowances are to be increased from the winter semester of 2024/25. It should also be easier for students to change their field of study or study for a semester longer without having to forego funding.

The BAföG will not be increased across the board, but there will be a 1,000 euro start-up aid for studies – this should be given to anyone who receives social assistance or is a recipient of housing assistance.

More speed at the digitalization

Stark-Watzinger emphasizes that the federal government has completely digitalized BAföG: Now the states still have to introduce the e-file. Because at the moment it is like this: BAföG applications are submitted digitally, but implementation in the federal states is still done on paper. “It’s taking too long, I can understand the students,” said the FDP politician. The ministry is working on ensuring that student start-up assistance can be applied for fully digitally in order to quickly approve BAföG.

Mathias Anbuhl, Chairman of the Board of the German Student Union, thinks it’s good that there is agreement to take further steps with BAföG – even if, in his opinion, these are not sufficient.

But: He praises the fact that the Federal Minister of Education is appealing to the states to now fully digitalize BAföG. This “is in the burning interest of the students and the BAföG offices of the student unions, who are groaning under the current situation that they have to laboriously print out the BAföG applications submitted online.” Anbuhl also demands that the states need to better staff the BAföG offices.

Changes to reform still possible

After the cabinet decision, the Bundestag can still make changes to the BAföG reform. Anbuhl hopes that the MPs will do that: “We urgently need an increase in the requirement rates and the flat rate for housing costs.” The chairman of the board of the German Student Union is calling for a regular and automatic increase in rates, similar to other state benefits.