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Friday, September 25, 2020
The federal government reacted very late to the fact that students had also lost their income due to the corona pandemic. Education Minister Karliczek is now giving the go-ahead: Because the economy is relaxing, Corona’s aid for students should expire at the end of September.
Federal Education Minister Anja Karliczek wants to suspend bridging aid for students in crown-related emergencies at the end of September. The employment situation for students has improved again and the need for bridging aid has “dropped dramatically” recently, her ministry said.
Since the program began in June, 135,000 applications for student Crown aid have been approved, with promised payments of € 60 million. Two thirds of those affected were supported with the maximum amount of 5,000 euros, said the parliamentary secretary of state in the Federal Ministry of Education, Michael Meister. “Meanwhile, the economic situation has become happily relaxed, which has also improved employment opportunities for students,” he explained. “This has meant that the number of applications has decreased or that the emergency situation related to the pandemic can be proven in fewer and fewer cases when the application is submitted.”
The criticism came from the Social Democrats. The education policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Oliver Kaczmarek, said: “In times of increasing numbers of infections and general warnings of a second wave of infections, the decision is staggering.” Karliczek is sending “an alarming signal” these days. On the other hand, there is a relevant group of more than 40,000 students who are in a non-pandemic emergency. “The SPD wants to make sure these students are not forgotten in the future.” What is needed is “effective aid and, above all, a modernization of student loans.”
Applications are still possible until the end of September
Corona’s bridge aid is aimed at students who lost their jobs due to the pandemic or who no longer received support from their families as a result. According to the ministry, requests for payment can still be submitted until September 30 at 11:59 pm Meister emphasized that the show could also be re-posted if necessary. “In the event that a situation like the onset of the pandemic reappears, we now have an established instrument at our disposal to be able to react quickly,” he explained.
According to the ministry, between 44,000 and 45,000 applications were approved in June and July. Then the number of applications decreased. In August, 37,000 positive notices were registered, in September 9,000 so far and around 14,000 applications are still being processed.
The FDP was also critical. “The fact that bridge aid is running out is the silent end of catastrophic crisis management,” explained its university expert Jens Brandenburg. “Anja Karliczek wasted too much time with her salami tactics.” The Bafög needs fundamental structural reform for independent parental funding. Many in need fell through the cracks.
