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A contribution by Emely Schwarze for the project “What’s going on there?!” by students at h_da
BAföG is intended to enable students to pursue their education regardless of their financial situation: However, the question arises: Is BAföG enough for students to live on?
The Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) was originally introduced in 1971 to provide educational opportunities for young people. However, today some students in the Darmstadt-Dieburg region are also confronted with problems related to this student aid – from the basic amount of funding and the lengthy processing time for applications to the accessibility of the responsible office.
How does BAföG work?
BAföG (Federal Training Assistance Act) can be applied for as monthly financial support at the start of studies. The amount is determined by needs-based rates. The current maximum rate for students living at home is €534. The needs-based rate for students who no longer live with their parents is €992, including health and pension insurance supplements. But are these amounts sufficient on their own?
According to a study by the Moses Mendelssohn Institute, the average price for a shared apartment in Darmstadt for the summer semester of 2025 is around 480 euros. The institute, in cooperation with the portal WG-gesucht.de, analyzed listings with offers and search queries to determine this.
In Dieburg, the district employment agency has created a guideline. This guideline defines reasonable living costs and provides information on the maximum rent in each town. For example, a shared apartment for two people in a 60-square-meter apartment would cost over €690 in basic rent.
But what is life really like in Darmstadt or Dieburg? Students Lisa and Nick tell their stories.
This is how Lisa is doing
Lisa* is in her fourth semester studying online journalism at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. The 21-year-old lives in a shared apartment in Dieburg and receives BAföG (German student financial aid). This amounted to €855 – until she began her practical semester. From then on, she received approximately €100 less in BAföG. She pays a total of €500 in rent for her shared apartment, including utilities.
This is followed by other expenses such as gas, groceries, and tuition fees. “It’s always been pretty manageable. I never really had to worry too much about whether I could afford that piece of toast at the end of the month,” she says. “But it wasn’t like I could have everything I wanted either.”
Alongside her studies, she occasionally worked, but BAföG (German student financial aid) still plays a significant role in her budget. "I don't think I could study and live the way I do now without BAföG." While her parents support her financially, she also sees limits to their support. "I don't think it would be possible for them to continue paying for my studies. If I had to wait another three, four, or five months for the application to be processed, then it would be possible. But not indefinitely.".
Her experiences with her BAföG office range from emails not being answered or being answered very late to the difficulty of reaching her case worker, but also the uncertainty regarding her follow-up application as to whether she will continue to receive BAföG.
Nevertheless, she finds the support important. "I think BAföG is so good because the problem is that education is tied to money. There are so many people who can't afford to pursue further education and who then fall behind. This divides society into rich and poor. And as a result, education is also divided."
This is how Nick lives
Nick, 27 years old, is in his second semester studying the same subject as Lisa and lives in Darmstadt. He receives a total of €860 in BAföG (German student financial aid). Half of this €860 goes towards his room in the student residence hall, for which he pays €460. This includes internet and other utilities.
But there are other expenses too, such as his mobile phone contract, health insurance contributions, groceries, and other bills. He finances these in addition to his student loan (BAföG) with a part-time job at a furniture store. He explains: "My budget is only sufficient because I have my part-time job to supplement it. Otherwise, life would be very frugal, and I'd only be eating pasta with pesto."
For Nick, financing his studies is a major reason why he's studying. "Without BAföG (German student loan), I wouldn't be able to study, and living in Darmstadt wouldn't be possible either. I also wouldn't have access to my wonderful course of study." If he hadn't been eligible for BAföG, he might have gone back to his old job as a cook.
But he, too, hasn't only had positive experiences with the BAföG office. Just like Lisa, he knows the uncertainty that comes with applying for BAföG. "It would be nice to have some security at the start of the semester, so that many students aren't left in limbo or in limbo waiting for their BAföG," he says.
Whether it's long waiting times or difficulty reaching them – Nick has experienced this himself and knows it from his own circle of acquaintances. "The communication is wonderful; if you call constantly for two weeks, you'll get someone on the line." Therefore, he adds as a tip to all future students: "If you take care of your BAföG (student loan) early on, the likelihood of not having problems later is much higher."
*The person's name has been changed.
Featured image: Andre Taissin/Unsplash
This article was created as part of the "Was da los" project – a student-run newsroom run by students of the Online Journalism program at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da). DA.news supports the project and publishes selected articles on its platform. Further information and articles can be found here and at: www.was-da-los.de
