A contribution by Emely Schwarze for the project "What's going on?!" From students at the H_DA
BAföG should enable students to train regardless of their financial situation: BAFÖG is enough to live at the question?
According to BAföG, the Federal Education Promotion Act was actually launched in 1971 in order to open up educational opportunities in young people. But today, in the Darmstadt-Dieburg region, some students are also faced with the problems of this study support-from the fundamental amount to the long duration of the processing of an application to the accessibility of the responsible office.
How does Bafög work?
BAföG can be applied for as a monthly financial support for the start of study. Needs are set for the amount of the amount. The current maximum rate for students living at home amounts to 534 euros. The need for students who no longer live with their parents is 992 euros with health insurance and pension insurance surcharge. But are the amounts enough?
According to an investigation by the Moses Mendelssohn Institute, the average price for a flat share in Darmstadt is around 480 euros for the summer semester 2025. In cooperation with the Portal WG-Gesucht.de, the institute evaluates the advertisements with offers and search queries.
In Dieburg, the district agency for employment has created a guideline. According to this, the appropriate maintenance costs are defined and informed about the maximum rent in the respective location. For example, a shared apartment of two people with a apartment size of 60 square meters would cost over 690 euros as a cold rent.
But how does it actually live in Darmstadt or Dieburg? The two students tell Lisa and Nick.
That's how it works Lisa
Lisa* studies online journalism at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences in the fourth semester. The 21-year-old lives in a flat share in Dieburg and obtains Bafög. This was 855 euros - until she started her practical semester. From then on, she received around 100 euros less Bafög. For her flat share, she pays a total of 500 euros rent, including ancillary costs.
This is followed by further expenses such as refueling, food and semester fees. "It has always been captured quite well. I never really had to pay attention to it now because of 'I can still afford the toast at the end of the month," she says. "But it wasn't that I could take everything I wanted to have."
In addition to her studies, she went to work occasionally, but Bafög still plays a relevant role in her budget. "I think, without the Bafög, I couldn't study and live as I live now." Her parents support her financially, but there she also sees borders. "I think it would not be possible that you would continue to pay my studies. If I had to wait again, until the application was through and that would be three or four or five months, then that would be possible. But not forever."
Your experience with your BAföG office ranges from e-mails that are not or very late to difficult access to your: R clerical worker: In, but also the uncertainty in her subsequent application, whether it continues to refer to BAföG.
Nevertheless, she finds the support important. "I think BAföG is so good because there is simply the problem that education is fixed. There are so many people who cannot afford to continue their education and then fall by the wayside. This is what society breaks into poor and rich. And this means that education is also divided."
This is how Nick lives
Nick, 27 years old, studied in the second semester in the same course as Lisa and lives in Darmstadt. He receives a total of 860 euros Bafög. Half of the 860 euros flow into his room in the student dormitory. For this he pays 460 euros. The Internet and other additional costs are also included.
Other expenses are also incurred such as the mobile phone contract, health insurance contributions, food and other bills. He finances this next to his Bafög with his part -time job in a temporary base. He explains: "But my budget is enough for me only because I have my part -time job to increase it. Otherwise life would be very economical and there would only be noodles with pesto."
For Nick, study financing is an essential reason why he is studying. "I would not be able to study without a Bafög and life in Darmstadt would not be possible either. I would not have access to my beautiful course." If he hadn't been authorized to Bafög, he might have resumed his old job as a cook.
But he also not only had positive experiences with the BAföG office. Just like Lisa, he knows the uncertainty associated with the BAföG application. "It would be nice to have security at the start of the semester so that many students don't stand in the hole or hang in the hover and have to wait for the Bafög," he wishes.
Whether long waiting times or difficult accessibility - Nick has had the experience herself and knows her from his environment. "Communication is wonderful, so if you really call for two weeks, you get someone to the line.", That is why he adds to all future students as a tip: "If you take care of your BAföG early on, the likelihood that you have no problems later is much higher."
*The name of the person has been changed.
Contribution picture: Andre Taissin/Unsplash
This article was made as part of the project "What's going on" - a teaching editorial team of students from the online journalism course at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (H_DA). Da.news supports the project and publishes selected articles on its platform. Further information and texts are available here and on: www.was-da-los.de
