BAföG | Luxury product education

In any case, students cannot live in the library. Photo: dpa/Monika Skolimowska "I have no money, I'm outlawed," sings the begging student in the 1950s operetta of the same name. The introduction of Bafög 20 years later was supposed to change that. Finally all young people, regardless of their social and economic situation, can go to university! That was the plan. That hardly worked. Today, social benefits are no longer sufficient to compensate for the increasing financial divide within society.

82.4 percent of students who live alone live below the poverty line. Even 70.4 percent of students in shared apartments are poor. Overall, more than a third of all learners at universities in Germany are affected by poverty. This results in new expertise from the Joint Association and the German Student Union.

In August, the Federal Cabinet decided on a delayed, gradual increase in Bafög from the winter semester of 2026/27. The reform had previously been on the brink after the Union no longer wanted to increase social benefits. However, Black-Red only wants to increase the flat-rate housing allowance to 440 euros in the summer semester. Even then, it will not be enough because the actual housing costs are already on average at 461 euros per month.

At the same time, the number of Bafög recipients is constantly falling. In 2025, only around 570,000 people received the funding; since 2021 the number has fallen by a third. This is due to the declining number of students. But complex applications, changing family structures, long waiting times and a lack of planning also have a deterrent effect - many eligible people do not even apply for the benefit.

That's why Bafög requires three things: poverty-proof financing and a low-threshold application system. And above all: falling housing costs. Otherwise, higher education will remain a luxury product.

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