"Strengthening the social foundation of the higher education system"
- Studierendenwerke: Permanently consolidate and expand the federal-state program “Young Housing”
- Heat turnaround: State funding for replacing heating systems in student residences
- Federal-state program with a volume of at least four billion euros for the energy-efficient refurbishment of canteens and cafeterias
- Regular increase in BAföG, complete digitalization of processes
- Expansion of psychosocial and social counseling centers
Berlin, 5 December 2024: The 57 student unions organized in the Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW) are entering the Bundestag election campaign with a catalog of investment demands. They are calling for more state investment in student housing, psychosocial counseling and a federal-state program for the energy-efficient refurbishment of canteens and cafeterias
At the general meeting of the German Student Union (DSW) on December 4, 2024, around 120 delegates from the student unions adopted a resolution paper in which they warned: “We are the social foundation of the higher education system. But this foundation threatens to crumble if federal and state funding does not keep pace with rising costs.” They continue: “If the federal and state governments want an open, social and sustainable university, they need the Studierendenwerke. Students, who have been hit hard by the rapid rise in food and energy prices, need our services. We need the support of the federal and state governments and universities for our work.”
Excerpts from the catalog of demands of the Studierendenwerke:
Student housing
- Permanent consolidation and expansion of the federal-state “Young Housing” program, genuine state subsidies of at least 50% of the investment costs per residential home, vigorous implementation of the program by all federal states
- Heat transition at the student unions through federal funding, which must be cumulative with state funding
- Practical implementation of the EU Buildings Directive for non-profit organizations such as the Studierendenwerke with subsidized funding
University catering
- Federal-state program for the energy-efficient refurbishment of canteens and cafeterias worth at least four billion euros over the next four years
BAföG
- Rapid increase to a minimum that ensures a living wage
- Regular increase in line with price and income trends
- Complete digitalization by the federal and state governments together, including e-file, e-notification and data protection-compliant digital communication platform for dialogue with students
Psychosocial counseling
- Ten million euros from the federal and state governments to expand the staffing of the psychosocial counseling centers of the Studierendenwerke over the next four years
Student mobility
- Maintain the price cap of 29 euros per month for the Deutschlandticket for students, generally decouple the price from the price development of the Deutschlandticket