The Federal Ministry of Research expects that the number of students receiving BAföG financial aid will decrease in the coming years. This projection comes from the Ministry’s response to questions posed by Green Member of Parliament Paula Piechotta, as reported by the “Rheinische Post” (Friday edition).
The Ministry, led by Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU), forecasts that in 2027, the average number of students supported by the scheme will be 278,000. This estimate is based on predictions from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT). According to the Ministry, if the BAföG reform were not implemented, 256,000 students would have received funding next year.
This suggests that the downward trend in BAföG beneficiaries is likely to continue. The average number of recipients in 2025 was still close to 300,000, having even topped 326,000 the previous year. Even in 2003-the first full year after the previous BAföG reform-there were 325,000 beneficiaries, despite a significantly lower overall student population nationwide at that time. The figure for 2026 is currently unavailable.
Piechotta told the newspaper that effective research funding generates knowledge and innovation. However, for both to be beneficial to a competitive economy, there must also be a sufficient number of talented individuals. She argues that Dorothee Bär must make educational advancement a core focus and priority, ensuring that Germany has enough skilled workers for projects like lunar missions or to achieve technological leadership. She stressed that especially during economically difficult times, the BAföG system must be structured so that young people can afford to study.
