Delay in BAföG grants persists, with dwindling figures of recipients - Students continue to endure multi-month delays in receiving Bafög, with a decrease in applications reported
In Thuringia, Germany, students face prolonged waiting times for their BAföG funding, a crucial financial aid program for higher education. The KTS spokesperson has expressed concerns about this ongoing issue, which affects the livelihoods of many students who may have to drop out of their studies due to financial crises caused by delayed BAföG payments.
The rise in digital processing of BAföG applications has not been enough to alleviate the problem. According to the Student Services Thuringia, the waiting times for BAföG applications have been "unbearable." The complexity of applications, administrative bottlenecks, funding allocation delays, insufficient training and resources, and technical issues are some factors contributing to these delays.
The number of BAföG applications in Thuringia has doubled since 2019, largely due to applications from students at the IU Internationale Hochschule, which moved its headquarters to Thuringia and has since grown rapidly. The university now boasts over 100,000 students nationwide. The increase in students in Thuringia is not limited to the presence of the IU Internationale Hochschule, but it has undoubtedly added to the pressure on the BAföG application process.
The issue is not isolated to Thuringia; it is a nationwide problem in Germany. There have been criticisms and student protests about the long processing times for BAföG applications, and the problem has reached university rectors and the Ministry of Science. However, its seriousness has not yet been fully recognized.
To address the issue, more staff has been hired in Thuringia to process BAföG applications, and documents can now be processed completely digitally. Despite these efforts, the situation regarding long waiting times for BAföG applications in Thuringia has not significantly improved.
In 2022, slightly fewer BAföG applications were submitted in Thuringia compared to 2023 - 22,303 compared to 22,913. As of last year, around 23,500 people in Thuringia received BAföG funding. The University city of Erfurt in Thuringia is particularly affected by the long waiting times for BAföG payments.
The KTS spokesperson's concerns highlight the need for immediate action to ensure that students in Thuringia receive their BAföG funding in a timely manner. The ongoing issue underscores the importance of addressing the challenges in the BAföG application process to prevent financial crises and potential drops in enrollment among students.
To address the financial crises that many students in Thuringia are facing due to delayed BAföG payments, it would be necessary to revise the community policy to prioritize Employment policies, ensuring a more efficient BAföG application process. Investing in education-and-self-development programs, including adequate training for staff and improving access to resources, can help alleviate the administrative bottlenecks and technical issues that prolong waiting times. The employment policy transformation should aim to streamline the BAföG application process, thereby reducing the financial burden on students and maintaining enrollment rates.
