State waits for money after incorrect Bafög transfers
At the beginning of May, around 10,000 students and pupils in Saxony-Anhalt received unauthorized transfers of Bafög money due to a data breach - but not all of the money has yet been transferred back. This was announced by the Ministry of Science on request.
Of the total of around 6.27 million euros, 5.88 million (93.7 percent) have already been reclaimed. A remaining amount of around 396,000 euros is still outstanding.
According to a spokesperson for the ministry, the students or pupils have agreed to pay around 191,000 euros in installments. However, some people had not reported back or responded to the payment requests. The amount in question is around 205,000 euros. In these cases, the ministry will send a final request for repayment. Legal action may then be taken.
According to the ministry, the incorrect transfer was due to a data error at the service provider Dataport.
Universities in Saxony-Anhalt might be affected if some of the remaining unreturned Bafög funds are not repaid, potentially impacting their student finances. The ministry is considering legal action to recover the outstanding 205,000 euros from students who have not responded to payment requests.
Source: www.dpa.com
