Overview

• Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär announced plans for a comprehensive BAföG reform slated for the 2026/27 winter semester.
• The package targets a system that is more digital, easier to navigate, and better known to potential applicants.
• Bär said the program’s outdated image and complex paperwork discourage take-up among those who qualify.
• She highlighted an income‑independent education loan with fixed interest terms as outlined in the coalition agreement.
• Official data show 612,800 recipients in 2024, down 4% to the lowest level since 2000, and unions plus student services called for rapid implementation.