In a joint statement, trade unions and social organizations are calling on the next German federal government to reform the funding of student support. “The Bafög is the heart of state-funded student financing” the appeal to the federal election, reported by the “Spiegel” reads.
The current payments are too low, said Elke Hannack, deputy chair of the German Trade Union Federation, adding that for the majority of those supported, the aid is crucial to being able to study at all. It is about ensuring equal opportunities for access to education, so that Germany’s skilled workforce potential can be optimally utilized.
The signatories of the appeal are demanding that, for example, the housing allowance of currently 380 euros be increased to at least 440 euros. The support must reach an “existential minimum.” The organizations that have signed the appeal include the Protestant and Catholic student communities and the German Student Welfare (DSW). “More than a third of students are at risk of poverty” said DSW board member Matthias Anbuhl.