1. Students´ resources in Germany: especially public funding
Achim Meyer auf der Heyde,
Secretary General Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW)

2. Outline BAföG rate > Social Structure of Students
Student Resources > Student Expenses
Sources of Financing > Family Background
BAföG and ist Aims > State/Lender
How to get BAföG > Conditions, Repayment, Exceptions
Study Abroad
Tuition Fees
Future Challenges

3. Public Funding for Students in Germany
Background Data
Public Funding for Students in Germany
population in Germany: 80 Million
students at universities in Germany: 2,7 Million (winter 2014)
BAföG = Federal Training Assistance Act
Introduced in1971
the public funding for college pupils and students at universities
2013: for students
Ø 2013: for students

4. BAföG Rate: 24 to 32 % (depending on method !!)

5. 1. Social Structure
Why only 24 %? 50 % of students parents hold a university degree

6. 2. Students´ Resources

7. 2. Students´ Expenses

8. 3. Sources of Financing
Study funding: mix of different types of sources
Sources of financing (more than one type) (2012)
payment from parents 87 % (legal claim)
own earnings from work 63 %
BAföG assistance 32 % (legal claim)
bank loan (with interest) 6 %
scholarship/grant 4 %

9. 3. Family Background
25 per cent of students: resources below 675 €/month
25 per cent of students: resources higher than 1000 €/month

10. These aims are still up-to-date.
4. BAföG and its Aims
In 1971
creating equal opportunities
mobilising educational reserves (non-traditional students)
These aims are still up-to-date.
Characteristics of BAföG:
a (tax-financed) social contribution: only if parents/students cannot afford studying (subsidiarity principal). Therefore: very orientated on the individual case (-> not easy, not very transparent)
but: a legal claim!

11. 4. State / Länder
* Federal state output: 2.35 billion € per year * Administration: obligation of the 16 Länder. Each of the 16 Länder have the power over the administration and the costs for the administration (all about 100 million € per year).
In all 16 Länder, the administration has - different personal equipment - different software for the administration of BAföG (3 types) Perspective for August 2016: online-application for permit will be possible

12. Maximum amount: 670 €/month (autumn 2016: 735 €/ month)
5. How to get BAföG
Maximum amount: 670 €/month (autumn 2016: 735 €/ month)
Average amount: 446 Euro/month (2013).
Depends on
parents/spouce income (20580 €/year maximum BAföG, around €/year no more BAföG (in 2016))
(parents income not relevant: if students before studying had a profession + worked 6 years)
students income (max. 400 €/month, 2016: 450 €)
students asset (max €, 2016: 7500 €)

13. German students, exceptions for students from the EU
5. BAföG: Condition 1
German students, exceptions for students from the EU
students with migrant parents, if they are legally in Germany and have been legally employed in Germany for years.
Age:
max. 30: at the beginning of bachelor-studies
max. 35: at the beginning of master-studies
Exceptions for those, who have the permission to study later e.g. for a later A-level, a vocational permission or for upbringing children.

14. maximum length of BAföG-funding: 6 semester for a bachelor-study
5. BAföG: Condition 2
maximum length of BAföG-funding:
6 semester for a bachelor-study
4 semester for a master-study.
Obligation, to show their effort after the 4th semester (to get BAföG-funding until the end of the standard period of study).
=> So far BAföG-funded students have to study fast and target-orientated – as well as for (educational) payment from parents.

15. 50 % of the individual BAföG-amount: grant
5. BAföG: Repayment
50 % of the individual BAföG-amount: grant
50 %: loan without interests
The interest-free loan is repayable after 5 years since the last BAföG-funding.
The repayment depends on income: over 1070 €/month normally 105 €/month, repayable in max. 20 years.
If students pay a greater sum earlier, they get a reduction between 8 to 50 %.

16. (pregnant) students with children (full grant)
5. BAföG: Exceptions
(pregnant) students with children (full grant)
students with disabilities (full grant)
students in committees of universities/Studentenwerke get a longer BAföG-funding (depending on cause).
* For being in accordance with the constitution there must be exceptions as well.
* Students without/less (legal) payments from their parents get the full BAföG-amount from the state. Students should not stop their academic training. In that case, after a university degree, parents have to pay back the funding to the state.

17. In 2012: 30 % of students abroad got BAföG
6. Study Abroad (1)
application possible
duration of funding: 1st semester to university degree
in EU/Switzerland
in other states: begin studying in Germany
In 2012: 30 % of students abroad got BAföG
Continuing the study in Germany they get a max. 2 semester longer BAföG-funding.

18. most critical obstacle: additional financial burden
6: Study abroad (2)
most critical obstacle: additional financial burden
= social background
BAföG-funding for studying abroad is additional
an extra for the purchasing power outside the EU/Switzerland (e.g. south-corea 60 €/month extra)
Health insurance abroad (62 €/month extra)
For the travelling expences (250 € in europe, 500 € outside)
For study fees abroad (only for max. 1 year max €).

19. no general tuition fees in Germany
about 8 of the16 Länder: fees required for studying longer than
average period of time
Only during 2006 and 2014 in 7 of the 16 Länder study fees were
required about 500 €/semester.
Study fees were not popular. Social effects are proven.

20. Automatism: higher limits BAföG: only for the young
8. Future Challenges
Automatism: higher limits
BAföG: only for the young
BAföG – administration: increase of costs
Zu 1: according to higher income and living costs
Zu 2: For the change to a longlife learning it must be opened
Zu 3: A higher amount for the costs of administration:
for better individual advice (1/3 of administration)
for better information about financial alternatives, if BAföG could not be permitted.

21. Why BAföG?
Four-fifths of the students receiving assistance (80 %) assume that they would not be able to study without their BAföG funding.

22. Data Base
How we know about the economic and social conditions of student life in Germany?