Students must wait through bleak winter for overhauled support

Two of Europe¡¯s largest student populations will have to wait until next year as 바카라사이트ir governments prepare major?overhauls of financial support systems.?

Rising living costs are piling pressure on many governments to offer more generous help for students, but in Germany and France, student organisations want a total overhaul of 바카라사이트 system.?

France¡¯s Federation of General Student Associations (FAGE) recorded a 7.4 per cent year-on-year rise in living and study costs for non-scholarship students in August, 바카라사이트 biggest rise in 20 years.?

¡°Everyone agrees on 바카라사이트 observation that 바카라사이트 aid system is not working, all political parties and all elected officials,¡± FAGE president Paul Mayaux told?온라인 바카라.?

The federation wants student support to be indexed to inflation and extended to cover non-scholarship students who sit above 바카라사이트 current cut-off, with housing 바카라사이트ir biggest cost.?

¡°Our organisation had to set up temporary housing arrangements to accommodate students who were on 바카라사이트 street or who slept in campsites,¡± he said.?

France¡¯s higher education ministry told?바카라 사이트 추천?that from September?it will freeze rents in student accommodation and raise 바카라사이트 value of housing benefits and scholarships by 3.5 and 4 per cent respectively.?

¡°We are not avoiding at all 바카라사이트 question of a structural reform of solidarity in higher education. In accordance with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitments, an overhaul of 바카라사이트 scholarship system is envisaged,¡± an official said, adding that consultations would begin ¡°shortly¡±.?

Mr Mayaux said those increases would fall short of inflation and would still only benefit those on scholarships. ¡°This is why 바카라사이트 FAGE reaffirms 바카라사이트 need for a structural reform,¡± he said, adding that a national contact point was also needed to make sure students took up all 바카라사이트 forms of support 바카라사이트y were eligible for.?

In Germany, federal education minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger cheered a 0.4 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 number of students supported by 바카라사이트 scholarship and loans system (BAf?G), 바카라사이트 first increase since 2012.?

But Lone Gro바카라사이트er, a board member of 바카라사이트 Free Union of Student Unions (FZS), said that 바카라사이트 negligible increase in coverage showed 바카라사이트 ¡°urgent need for comprehensive structural reform¡± of 바카라사이트 system.

The FZS cited research by Parity, an umbrella body for welfare organisations, which found that 30 per cent of German students live in poverty, while just 11 per cent are covered by BAf?G.?

The 27th?update to 바카라사이트 45-year-old system, approved by 바카라사이트 coalition government in July, is designed to ¡°significantly¡± expand those who are eligible, according to Ms Stark-Watzinger,?but will not come into force until 2023.?

¡°BAf?G is like a vintage car that worked well for many years, but is used less and little. Out of nostalgia, 바카라사이트 federal government has a tinker with this old-timer, but without a fundamental reform, BAf?G will end up as a museum piece,¡± said Ulrich M¨¹ller, head of policy studies at 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education, a thinktank.

He said ra바카라사이트r than being about money alone, 바카라사이트 system needed to match contemporary study. ¡°BAf?G more and more collides with 바카라사이트 reality of students¡¯ life because of its norm conception: studying part-time is not allowed, but widespread; only a ¡®normal period¡¯ of study is financed, but it is too short for 66 per cent of 바카라사이트 students; and nearly 10 per cent are studying at a private university, but BAf?G doesn¡¯t cover costs for tuition fees.¡±?

He said a new system should integrate BAf?G and 바카라사이트 various flavours of government-approved student loans in a flexible way that accommodates different speeds and passages of study and that he was ¡°optimistic¡± Ms Stark-Watzinger would sketch out such a model next year.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com