When students do not have jobs, financial worries increase in many places. Bridging help or scholarship can only alleviate the need for a limited amount. A review.
It is difficult for students to get jobs in Corona. Many students are affected by the loss of their student jobs.
Photo: panthermedia.net/Kzenon
The Corona crisis is also hitting German students hard. In addition to the routine of regular study, they lack money above all else. Waiters at restaurants, selling sneakers at sports stores, or tearing up tickets to the movies – none of this is possible during a difficult lockdown. Without one Student jobs On a 450-euro basis, financial concerns are growing in many places. Bridging help or scholarship can only alleviate the need for a limited amount. This brief description shows that there is no way out for students from the current emergency situation.
Student job options What job options are currently available?
Carlotta Kuhnman, 25, has had many conversations with frustrated students in recent months. He is a member of the board of the Free Union of Student Unions (FZS), an umbrella organization of German student representatives. “The scope of student employment has shrunk significantly,” said Kuhnman Apart from gastronomy or retail classics, there are no jobs around the university campus. Closed canteen or library means there is an additional shortage of what is on offer. “And the job at the supermarket checkout is certainly very competitive,” Kühnemann explained. He advised students and teachers to supplement their money through tutoring through video conferencing. “Because face-to-face teaching is not happening in schools, there is a need,” said Kuhnman For medical students, help at a vaccination center is also an option. Student assistants are also being sought to assist lecturers in digital teaching.
Carlotta Kühnemann, board member (fzs) of the Free Association of Student Organizations, advises students in Corona.
Photo: Private
Which group is affected?
The German Center for Higher Education Research and Science Research (DZHW) conducted an online survey last summer semester. 28,600 students took part. Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed said they were employed just before the Corona epidemic began. About 40 percent of these groups find themselves in more difficult employment situations: they were made redundant, left without pay, or affected by shorter working hours. The income status of parents has also deteriorated to 32 percent.
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How much money do students have?
The 2020 summer semester survey underlines financial problems. Although the average monthly income for the 2019/2020 winter semester was 857 euros, it was only 794 euros for the summer semester. The decline was even more pronounced among students whose employment conditions have deteriorated: it has dropped from 890 euros to 658 euros.
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Anyone who can prove that they are in an emergency due to the epidemic can apply for bridge assistance. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has set up a related page. Bridging support began in June, was suspended for the month of October and has been running since the end of November and was recently extended until the end of the 2021 summer semester. Students can thus earn from 100 to a maximum of 500 euros per month depending on the account balance. In November and December, Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW) received about 82,500 applications. Of these, 75 per cent were approved in November and 64 per cent in December.
“In many German university cities, bridging aid is not enough to survive,” insisted Carlotta Kuhnman.
The postgraduate student in economic sociology also receives daily calls from students whose applications have been rejected. “There are those who are thinking of dropping out of school for financial reasons,” Kuhnman explained. Nevertheless, he advises you to make an appointment with the relevant student representative. “Some student representatives are given the opportunity to submit a grievance application,” said Kuhnman If this is approved, the mobility fee – i.e. semester ticket – can be paid to the person concerned. It’s definitely a drop in the ocean, but every euro counts for students. Requirements vary depending on the university.
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What opportunities does the scholarship offer?
Since the summer semester of 2011, meritorious and high-performance students have been able to apply for Deutschlandstipendium at their university. Anyone who successfully completes the application process will receive 300 euros per month. Ideally, the funds apply to the full standard period of study. However, fzs are critical of the Deutschland Stipendium. “Very good performance and voluntary commitment are prerequisites for sponsorship,” said Carlotta Kuhnman. “Those who are in urgent need of financial assistance do not have the resources to volunteer in addition to a small job and good performance and so they are often not eligible for such scholarships.” -Adenauer-Foundation or SPD-affiliated Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation. There is another way for Kuhnman to get out of the predicament of many students.
“We need a basic student loan reform,” he said
Significantly higher and regularly increasing rates as well as subscription duration which can be extended several times to ensure that you can study from the beginning without financial problems.
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