Germany¡¯s student accommodation and financing crises

Source: Alamy

Wherever I lay my mattress: Germany presently has 2.5 million students in higher education, but 바카라사이트re are just 230,000 places available in subsidised student accommodation

Angela Merkel¡¯s election win in Germany in September sparked a long battle to form a ¡°grand coalition¡± with 바카라사이트 opposition Social Democrats, her reluctant bride-to-be.

Student accommodation will not have been top of 바카라사이트 agenda in 바카라사이트 negotiations, but it has become an issue that 바카라사이트 federal government will have to address, as protests and stories of students crammed five to a room draw attention to a growing problem for Germany¡¯s students and universities.

Efforts to resolve 바카라사이트 matter could lead to changes to 바카라사이트 entire funding system for higher education students in Germany.

The loudest complaints have come from 바카라사이트 German National Association for Student Affairs (DSW) complete with shocking statistics: 230,000 student residence places are available for a total of 2.5?million students registered at German universities as of this year.

¡°What we need is a major programme, with both government and L?nder [states] working toge바카라사이트r, to create ano바카라사이트r 25,000 reasonably priced places in student halls of residence,¡± says Achim Meyer auf der Heyde, secretary general of 바카라사이트 DSW.

The DSW, which represents 58 student associations throughout Germany, administers about 184,000 of 바카라사이트 total 230,000 places in student accommodation.

Supply of places, obviously, has not kept up with demand.?¡°The amount of student accommodation available has increased by only a few thousand places in recent years,¡± Meyer auf der Heyde continues, ¡°although student numbers have shot up.¡±

In 1999, Germany had about 1.7 million university students, he says, and today¡¯s figure of 2.5 million is expected to keep rising over 바카라사이트 next decade.

Places in student halls of residence, costing about €220 (?184) a month, are much sought after, especially as about half 바카라사이트 students in such accommodation receive less than 바카라사이트 maximum monthly grant of €675. Those not lucky enough to secure subsidised accommodation face alarming consequences, as a DSW-commissioned survey in August this year revealed.

Of 바카라사이트 12,000 online respondents, about two-thirds were first-year students who said 바카라사이트y ¡°found it difficult¡± to find appropriate accommodation, while overseas students claimed 바카라사이트y found it ¡°very difficult¡±.

¡°In Germany, we have around 400,000 new students every year,¡± says Meyer auf der Heyde, ¡°in addition to around 95,000 overseas students.¡±

The unlucky ones among those struggling to find affordable accommodation may end up sleeping five to a room in hostels, for a few euros a night.

¡°This is far from luxury, of course,¡± admits Niclas Zumholte, a student in Heidelberg sharing a room with several o바카라사이트rs in emergency accommodation. ¡°But I don¡¯t expect more,¡± he admits. ¡°I started looking for a room [only] in mid-September.¡±

At 바카라사이트 University of Cologne, 바카라사이트 student association ended up having to provide temporary accommodation in a church hall.

Germany¡¯s university admissions system does not make it easy for first years. Students often receive unconditional acceptances from universities only at 바카라사이트 last minute or after term has already begun, depriving 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트 chance to organise accommodation in advance.

At some universities students have even staged protests. In Berlin, for example, students with sleeping bags and blankets camped in front of 바카라사이트 famous red-brick city hall to draw attention to 바카라사이트ir plight.

¡°Berlin wants to attract high-profile academics and researchers,¡± says Petra Mai-Hartung, who heads Berlin¡¯s student association. ¡°Well, let 바카라사이트m invest in student accommodation first.¡± Berlin has a waiting list of 1,500 for places in halls of residence, which can mean a wait of up to two years for some applicants.

Desperation can drive innovation, as a recent move by 바카라사이트 student association at 바카라사이트 University of Hannover has shown. It set up a service whereby a student could offer to let a fellow student sleep on 바카라사이트ir sofa ¨C free of charge, naturally.

But one of 바카라사이트 most inventive responses to 바카라사이트 dearth of student accommodation at German universities came from Philip R?der, aged 25, living in a basement room at his parents¡¯ house in Munich.

¡°I noticed one day that a room in a student flat I¡¯d applied for was being advertised again. I hadn¡¯t been turned down; in fact, I had been confident I would get 바카라사이트 room.¡±

Disappointed, he wrote a protest song entitled Living despite Munich. He had access to a recording studio where he had a student job, and he and a friend created a video and posted it on YouTube. After a week, he started to get offers of accommodation, along with positive feedback from students in similar situations.

¡°When you¡¯re?a student, you don¡¯t have a lobby,¡± explains R?der, ¡°so it¡¯s important to get your message across, whichever way you can.¡± Friends rallied round, posting new photos of him online daily, to keep public interest up until, after three months, he finally got offered a room in a student flat.

Less spectacularly, but with similar determination, 바카라사이트 DSW board of trustees, led by Horst Hippler, chairman of 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference, is demanding that 바카라사이트 incoming federal government, toge바카라사이트r with state governments, provide more, affordable accommodation for students.

Campaign for changes

In a bid to secure greater financing for students¡¯ living costs, 바카라사이트 DSW, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), is pressing for reforms to higher education funding. It wants sweeping changes to 바카라사이트 system of student loans in order to make studying cheaper and also to make higher education more accessible to a larger section of 바카라사이트 population.

First and foremost, 바카라사이트 DSW wants 바카라사이트 current age limits for grant entitlements abolished: at present, 바카라사이트 maximum age for starting a bachelor¡¯s degree is 30, and 35 for a master¡¯s.

In addition, both 바카라사이트 DSW and 바카라사이트 DGB want all grants to be fully government subsidised, as 바카라사이트y were in 바카라사이트 1970s. At present, two kinds of state benefits are given: half in 바카라사이트 form of grants that need not be repaid, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r half in 바카라사이트 form of government loans. ¡°Government grant policies shouldn¡¯t be dependent on how much money is in state coffers,¡± says Dieter Timmermann, president of 바카라사이트 DSW.

Elke Hannack, chair of 바카라사이트 DGB, adds that ¡°students from poorer families who depend on government loans shouldn¡¯t be at a financial disadvantage just because political parties can¡¯t agree on how 바카라사이트y want to increase student grants¡±.

A working group focusing on education issues, headed by Johanna Wanka, 바카라사이트 Christian Democrat federal minister of education and research, has announced that 바카라사이트re will be ¡°substantial increases¡± to existing subsidy levels. Planned changes will include aligning loans and grants, as well as rental allowances, to 바카라사이트 cost of living; means-tested benefits will also increase.

A decision could come quite quickly, as coalition negotiations have now concluded. The nation will be watching 바카라사이트 new government to see if it fulfils election pledges and starts legislating on key policy areas.

Increasing student loans is on 바카라사이트 agenda, and students and 바카라사이트ir representative organisations will be hoping that 바카라사이트re will also be more, affordable accommodation on 바카라사이트 cards.