Germany's federal government has cast uncertainty over a promised overhaul of Bafög (the country's main student financial assistance programme), with Research Minister Dorothee Bär of the CSU announcing via a newspaper interview that the reform — already agreed within the coalition — remains subject to a financing reservation. Critics warn that even a fully implemented reform would leave maximum monthly grants at around €1,100, still below the single-person poverty threshold of €1,445, while a proposed housing supplement of €440 falls short of average shared-flat rents exceeding €500 in German university cities. The move has drawn sharp condemnation from coalition partners and student advocates, who argue that prioritising roughly €1.6 billion in temporary fuel subsidies over roughly €1 billion in long-term education investment deepens social inequality and risks further eroding public trust in mainstream democratic parties.