- Germany student ticket requirement: Pupils need to remain patient
Lower Saxony learners, trainees, and apprentices still have to await an affordable Germany pass. Minister of Transport Olaf Lies (SPD) had indicated summer 2024 as the envisioned initiation period in a dpa interview last year, but he had also hinted at the financial constraints of the budgets. Regrettably, it won't occur in 2023. The reason: There are no budgetary funds available, as the Ministry of Transport in Hannover informed dpa upon request.
In the coalition agreement, SPD and Greens agreed towards the end of 2022 on a budget-friendly school pass for all of Lower Saxony. Initially set at 29 euros, it aimed to cover nationwide travel by public transport as a student, apprentice, or volunteer in Lower Saxony at a reduced cost of 49 euros. Now, the plan is for a budget-friendly Germany pass at 29 euros. Interestingly, in neighboring Hamburg, a free Germany pass will become available for students starting September 1, 2024.
The state student council also welcomes the idea of a free Germany pass for Lower Saxony, as stated by Matteo Feind, chairman of the Lower Saxony State Student Council, to dpa. He said, "Introducing a free Germany pass would provide financial relief for students. A free pass would enable students to embark on independent travel at an early stage."
In its primary program, the state student council highlights that the pass would not only make commuting to school more convenient but also facilitate access to educational opportunities or extra-curricular activities across the entire country. There is already an affordable Germany pass for students and apprentices in North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, and Schleswig-Holstein, among others.
Whether the budget-friendly Germany pass for Lower Saxony students and apprentices will materialize in 2025 remains undecided, according to the Ministry of Transport in Hannover, "considering the tight budget situation." The intent is to introduce the pass during this legislative period, which means by October 2027.
From the 11th grade onwards, students are responsible for their travel expenses. Since secondary school level 2, students in Lower Saxony have to pay for their own travel expenses. However, this does not apply to students who attend vocational training schools or specialized schools focused on intellectual development.
The regional school and apprentice pass does not exceed a maximum of 30 euros a month. For instance, the youth network card in the Hanover region costs 15 euros. In Oldenburg, the charge for the school pass is 30 euros.
According to the Ministry of Transport in Lower Saxony, transport associations can offer regional school and apprentice passes with financing support from the state of Lower Saxony. In fact, 30 out of 39 transport authorities for public passenger transport (ÖPNV) have already profited from this opportunity. However, the pass is only valid within the respective districts or independent cities, serving as a temporary solution for the 29-euro pass.
The SPD, being part of the coalition government in Lower Saxony, agreed on a budget-friendly school pass last year. Minister of Transport Olaf Lies (SPD) mentioned summer 2024 as the potential initiation period for a nationwide, affordable Germany pass, although financial constraints are a concern.
