The Senate is cutting a third of all the funding for studierendenWERK Berlin, a total of 7.5 million euros. This is stated in the Senate's supplementary budget for 2025, which will particularly affect poor students, international students and students with children.
The AStA of the FU sharply criticizes the drastic cuts in subsidies for the studierendenWERK. At one third, they are much higher than other cuts in the social sector. This shows that the Senate is not aware of the precarious social situation of most students, or has once again decided to ignore it. The studierendenWERK itself announced austerity measures as a consequence on the same day. For example, the semester fee, which currently stands at 63 euros per semester, is likely to rise by at least 30 euros next semester. It has also warned of the closure of sites, decay of student residences, cuts to cultural events and support services for international students. It has already announced an increase in the price of the cheapest canteen meal from €1.45 to €1.75.
Tomas Schmidt, representative of the AStA FU says: “The Senate's cuts show in all areas that the priorities are not the social situation of the people, but the relief of capitalist companies and the EM fan mile. The fact that the prices for the extremely valuable offer of a canteen meal for €1.45 are already being raised by 30 cents is a fatal development for all students who depend on the canteens.”
The AStA FU calls on the studierendenWERK not to make the €1.45 meal more expensive. Due to the unfortunately necessary increase in the price of other meal offers and the painful increase in the Semesterbeitrag, students will be considerably more financially burdened overall. Nevertheless, the Semesterbeitrag is a solidarity model whose balancing function should be maintained. In this way, it is hoped that offers for structurally disadvantaged students can be maintained in the future. The AStA also calls on the studierendenWERK not to close any locations or cut any jobs.
The cuts of 250 million euros in the science budget will also affect students, precariously employed academic staff at universities and other employees. The example of financing the 2,500 qualified teaching staff per year planned according to university contracts shows how short-sighted the Senate's savings plans are. The financing of this project is now uncertain, even though the GEW assumes that there will be a shortage of 110,000 teachers in Germany by 2030.
The studierendenWERK, which provides social and cultural services for around 170,000 students in Berlin, had been promised around 22 million euros in subsidies from the Senate for 2025. Like many other institutions, it is now directly affected by the cuts made by the SPD-CDU government. A large proportion of students in Berlin who rely on the services offered by studierendenWERK are affected by poverty. International students in particular are dependent on cheap canteen food and affordable housing because in most cases they are legally excluded from BAFöG and social benefits such as housing benefit.
Berlin, 4.12.2024
Press inquiries to: oeffref@astafu.de