In 2025, 570,000 individuals received monthly benefits under the Federal Student Funding Act (BAföG). According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday, this figure represents a decrease of 42,700, or seven percent, compared to the previous year.
This decline continues a downward trend in the number of recipients since the peak in 2012, when 979,300 people were supported. The only recent exceptions to this trend were in 2022 and 2023. The number of BAföG recipients in 2025 is lower than the last recorded low point, which occurred in the year 2000 (559,300). Furthermore, the overall federal expenditure on BAföG benefits fell by four percent, or 118 million Euros, reaching 3.0 billion Euros in 2025.
In 2025, the funding was distributed among 443,100 students and 126,900 pupils. The reduction in recipients was most pronounced among students, whose numbers dropped by 40,700 (8.0 percent) compared to the prior year. Conversely, the number of supported pupils only decreased slightly by 2,100 (1.6 percent). Gender parity remained consistent with previous years, with women constituting 60 percent of recipients, compared to 40 percent of men.
Financially, supported students received an average of 682 Euros per month in 2025, which was an increase of 25 Euros over the previous year. The average grant amount for pupils was 552 Euros, a rise of 13 Euros. The precise level of individual support is determined by factors including the type of educational institution attended, accommodation arrangements, and the income of the recipient and their parents. Following the BAföG reform implemented in 2024, both the required benefit levels and tax-free allowances were increased.
The 2024 reform also introduced new funding mechanisms: the “flexibility semester” and the “study start aid.” The flexibility semester allows students to receive continuous BAföG funding for one semester beyond the standard maximum duration. In 2025, 33,700 recipients utilized this flexibility option. The study start aid is a one-time financial bonus of 1,000 Euros provided at the beginning of studies. This aid is available to individuals under 25 years old who are receiving certain social benefits before starting university and are enrolling in their first course of study. In 2025, 11,600 people received the study start aid, primarily citing benefits from SGB II, which the majority (60 percent) of recipients utilized before their studies began.
