Nearly one in three students live in poverty, survey finds

A new survey suggests that nearly a third of all students in Germany are living in poverty, and that four out of five students who live on their own are below the poverty line. Recent price hikes threaten to exacerbate hardship among students.

The survey was published by the German Parity Welfare Association, or Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, a federation of welfare associations.

It states that in comparison to the overall population, which has a 16.8% share of people living in poverty, students are particularly frequently – and particularly severely – hit by poverty.

The mean income level of poor students is €802 (US$848) per month, corresponding to a poverty gap of €463. The poverty line in Germany is currently set at €1,265 per month.

The mean income of the overall share of poor people in Germany is €961, with a poverty gap of €304, which is considerably lower than that among the students.

In addition to the four fifths of students living on their own, recipients of financial support via the federal tertiary education grants and loans scheme Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (BAföG) are disproportionately highly affected, at 45%.

Around 465,500 of Germany’s roughly three million students are assisted by BAföG payments.

Reforms proposed

Given the dramatic results of the survey, its authors – Greta Schabram, Andreas Aust and Joachim Rock – recommend far-reaching reforms of the BAföG system, which would also raise the number of students eligible for support.

The association says that the federal government’s proposals on the issue, which are currently being discussed by the federal parliamentary committee on education, are insufficient.

It warns that recent price hikes are threatening to put further pressure on many students, causing them to run into debt and even drop out of studies altogether.

The association welcomed the government’s plans to make age limits for grants and loans more flexible. However, it demanded that support be adapted more to actual needs. It proposes that the needs base for calculations of support levels be regularly reassessed.

“Promising progress, a level playing field and equal opportunities for all young people isn’t worth much if students aren’t effectively protected from poverty and provided with support enabling education free of existential hardship,” says Ulrich Schneider, chief managing director of the association.

“The outmoded notion of happy students getting by with just a little money but much leisure time is completely obsolete and has nothing to do with the reality of life and the pressure today’s students are facing.”

The survey is based on figures provided by the German Socio-Economic Panel at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and surveys by the German National Association for Student Affairs (DSW).

To contact Michael Gardner e-mail: michael.gardner@uw-news.com