Overview
- The Statistisches Bundesamt reported on Wednesday that 570,000 people received monthly BAföG in 2025, a 7 percent decline from 2024 and the smallest total since the year 2000.
- Student recipients fell most sharply to 443,100 (an 8 percent drop) while 126,900 school pupils received support, showing the decline is driven mainly by fewer university students.
- Average monthly payments rose to €682 for students and €552 for pupils in 2025, yet total federal BAföG spending fell 4 percent to €3.0 billion because fewer people drew benefits.
- New measures from the 2024 reform saw limited take‑up in 2025: 33,700 used the Flexibility Semester and 11,600 received the one‑off €1,000 Studienstarthilfe.
- Policymakers postponed the planned rise in the student housing allowance to the next summer semester, prompting the Deutsches Studierendenwerk to press for the 30th BAföG amendment and administrative remedies such as the ministry’s proposed AI BAföG‑Bot to tackle high non‑takeup and access barriers.