German Court Rules No Constitutional Right to Increased Bafög

The Federal Constitutional Court declares that students cannot claim higher Bafög as a constitutional right, leaving the decision to lawmakers.

The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe determined that students do not have a constitutional right to higher Bafög payments.
The court stated that the right to a dignified minimum existence does not extend to state-funded education support for students.
The decision follows a case where a student challenged the adequacy of Bafög payments from 2014-2015, deemed constitutional by the court.
The ruling emphasized that adjustments to Bafög are a political matter for the German Parliament to decide, not the courts.
Critics argue that Bafög increases have not kept pace with other state benefits, urging for a systematic adjustment mechanism.