Students in Thuringia: Protests against Bafög standstill are increasing!

Students in Thuringia: Protests against Bafög standstill are increasing!

Things are simmering in Thuringia, and not just because of the warm summer days. Students feel neglected and unheard due to the scandalously long waiting times for Bafög financial aid. Currently, many of them are waiting several months for urgently needed support, which is putting them in real trouble. According to a report by n-tv The parliamentary group leader of the Left, Christian Schaft, expresses his criticism of the standstill on this important issue and finally calls for improvement.

One of the biggest sticking points is the hasty processing of applications. According to reports, the average processing time for student loan applications has been between six and nine months for years, while some students even have to wait over a year for their funds. Last year, a whopping 6,400 of around 24,000 applications were still open. This has now led to protests in cities like Erfurt and Ilmenau, where students have taken to the streets loudly and clearly against the grievances.

Protests that cannot be ignored

In May of the current year, numerous students gathered in Erfurt and Ilmenau. A protest campaign entitled “BaföG or Abort” draws attention to the pressing problems. Creative actions and rallies reflect the discomfort that results from the standstill. After all, you don't want to just wait for competition from other federal states where the university location may offer more support.

The protesters are not only demanding faster processing, but also a lasting improvement in the conditions. A respectable step could be the planned administrative assistance from Hesse and Lower Saxony, which the Thuringian Ministry of Education is promising. But at the moment the whole thing is more of a dream of the future, as the efforts of the Thuringian Student Union to date have delivered hardly any results southern Thuringia reported.

The financial problem is becoming critical

Student concerns are more than just an emotional issue. Many first-year students end up in debt to their parents or even have to resort to student loans to ensure their financial security. The lack of BaföG payments means they get into serious difficulties, which in some cases can even lead to problems with Schufa. “We urgently need solutions, otherwise students will leave,” warns Schaft. He emphasizes that the situation could affect the university location if nothing happens.

The Thuringian budget provides at least 400,000 euros for 2025 to strengthen the student union's staff. These additional positions are primarily intended to help shorten processing times and avoid the shortage of personnel. However, new employees require a certain amount of training time, which is why patience is required here, even in an already tense situation.

Another reason for the delays is that there are still many incomplete or analogue applications, which take up additional time. The digitalization of the application process should help here in the future, but it remains to be seen when the hoped-for effects will become visible.

Overall, it is clear that not only the students, but also the employees of the student union are suffering from the current situation. “We need a quick solution and not empty promises,” is how one affected student sums it up, underlining the feeling of frustration that hovers in the lectures. The ongoing protests should not be overlooked - they are a clear call to mobilize those responsible, who must finally switch to actions instead of words Antennethueringen summarizes.