Call for more funding for student support and counselling

The German National Association for Student Affairs or Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW) has called for a COVID-19 vaccination strategy for students as well as more support for student counselling services, given the increasing social and mental strain students are under in the pandemic.

“In addition to a clear testing and vaccination strategy, as well as an opening strategy for universities, students urgently require the provision of more support and counselling measures by the universities and the student welfare services in order to effectively halt falling behind with learning as well as to counter social and mental strain because of the pandemic,” said DSW Secretary General Achim Meyer auf der Heyde.

He was speaking at a federal and state government ‘vaccination summit’, where politicians discussed further steps in the vaccination campaign.

Meyer auf der Heyde pointed out that the federal government’s bridging aid package of loans and grants for students was an important step towards mitigating the financial plight of students.

“But this is not enough to help students cope with the psychosocial strain of what are now three digital semesters,” he added. Federal and state governments had to come up with additional funding for programmes to help students catch up as well as for psychosocial counselling measures.

The DSW argues that if the federal and state governments provide money to prevent schoolchildren from lagging behind, students ought to be entitled to similar support. In particular, governments ought to provide funding for additional study support by tutors and more psychosocial counselling by the student welfare services.

“Students have put up with three digital semesters without complaining, but this is now taking its toll,” Meyer auf der Heyde said. “The student welfare services are facing a growing demand for psychosocial counselling.”

Meyer auf der Heyde explained that students were struggling with depressive moods, a feeling of loneliness in digital isolation, uncertainty whether studying made sense, but also anxiety about running into debt. “It’s high time that the federal and state governments at last turn their attention to the students,” he said.

Michael Gardner E-mail: michael.gardner@uw-news.com.