Education and research politics have been a concern of mine for many years. I was involved in university politics during my studies, worked for the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and at various institutes of the RWTH after my studies, and am a member of the Committee for Education, Research and Technology Assessment in the Bundestag.
And even though my focus there is on research and transfer, advocacy for the situation of students is still important to me – especially during the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
That is why, together with my fellow parliamentarians in the SPD, I have campaigned extensively for the one-off payment of 200 euros for students and trainees. We were also able to ensure that the energy price allowance of up to 300 euros was also paid to mini- and midi-jobbers, which also benefited numerous students.
For over 50 years, the state has been supporting young people in their school or university education with BAföG. Since the beginning of the legislative period, we have amended BAföG three times. This will strengthen educational equality. For example, first-year students in need can now receive a study start-up grant of 1,000 euros. The basic needs rate and the flat-rate housing allowance will continue to rise. We were able to raise the maximum subsidy rate to 992 euros. We have also raised the age limit, the allowances and the flat-rate housing allowance. And we want to continue by making BAföG more independent of parents as a further step.
These reforms led to support a group that was particularly hard hit by rising prices, especially during a difficult period.
Mobility is participation and must therefore be accessible at a low threshold. This is also reflected in the price. Since the summer semester 2024, many students have been able to use a discounted Deutschlandticket for 29.40 euros to use local public transport throughout Germany. I am committed to ensuring that the price remains as low as possible and that there are predictable and uniform regulations for semester tickets.
But politics for students are also important to me beyond that. Because as young people, they belong to a group in our society that often does not have a strong enough lobby and is not listened to enough. The years of the Corona pandemic were a cautionary tale of this.
I would like to do that differently. That’s why I’ve been offering an anger session for students since 2022. Of course, I can’t always solve all problems immediately in these conversations. But I want to listen, even if it’s criticism of our policies.