Education - Analysis: Saxony has the highest proportion of Bafög recipients
According to a study, Saxony has the highest proportion of students who finance their studies with Bafög. In 2022, 19,186 students in the federal state took advantage of this state funding, accounting for 18.3 percent, according to an analysis published on Friday by the CHE Center for Higher Education Development. The proportion is thus above the national average: 11.5 percent of students in Germany are supported in this way, according to the analysis.
State instruments such as scholarships played a much smaller role, even though the proportion here was high compared to the national average. And only 404 people took out a new student loan from the state development bank KfW in 2022 - the lowest proportion together with Saxony-Anhalt, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia (all 0.4 percent). In contrast, more than 55% of students were employed in 2021. This proportion is the third lowest in Germany. All four eastern German states had the lowest proportion of students with a part-time job.
According to the CHE analysis, around five out of six students nationwide did not use Bafög, state loans or scholarships in 2022. Financial support from parents and part-time jobs are the most important sources of student financing, said study author Ulrich Müller according to the press release.
According to Müller, there is a need for reform. If the system of student financing in Germany remains unchanged, "in future, success at university will depend more and more on whether you have rich parents or are enrolled on a flexible degree course that is compatible with part-time jobs". This does not have much to do with "equitable participation in higher education".
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- Despite Saxony's high proportion of Bafög recipients, the majority of students in Germany, including those in cities like Dresden and Gütersloh, relied on financial support from parents and part-time jobs in 2022, according to the CHE analysis.
- To address these disparities, some universities in Saxony and other regions of Germany are exploring the establishment of a center for university development, aiming to provide more equitable access to education and financial resources for students.
- The need for reform in Germany's student financing system was emphasized by Ulrich Müller, author of the CHE analysis, who argued that success in higher education should not be tied to one's social background or ability to balance studies with part-time work.
- As a result, the German government and various universities are exploring opportunities to increase scholarships, reduce tuition fees, and provide more flexible degree programs to help alleviate financial burdens for students and promote social mobility in education.
- In contrast to other states, Saxony faces unique challenges in attracting and retaining international students, as well as fostering collaboration between universities and local industries, which are central to the center for university development's vision for promoting equitable access to higher education in Germany.
Source: www.stern.de
