Germany's future lies in Germany's students – KfW grants the 100,000th student loan

KfW Bankengruppe has granted the 100,000th KfW Student Loan to a prospective female student of bio and nano technology at the University of Applied Science Iserlohn. After the school leaving examinations, the 25-year-old completed training as a dental assistant and through her college degree hopes to improve her chances on the job market.

You can learn more about the 100,000th student to receive the KfW Student Loan in the interview: www.kfw.de/themendienst.

“100,000 KfW Student Loans – this number proves that since its introduction in April 2006, the student loan has successfully established itself as a possibility to finance costs of living expenses. With the product KfW actively and sustainably promotes the knowledge society, for education is a key factor for ensuring the future viability of Germany,” said Dr Axel Nawrath, Member of the Executive Board of KfW Bankengruppe. “The KfW Student Loan is an important building block also for the 100,000th supported student to finance her studies.”

Compared internationally, the share of school-leavers in Germany in a year who pursue university education after the school-leaving exam is relatively small. This is in part due to financing difficulties. This is where the KfW Student Loan comes in which is granted independent of both income and parents' situation. Students may also freely select their field of study. It is offered to obtain the first degree with a standard period of ten semesters.

In the framework of the survey, 86% of the students supported by KfW indicated that for them pursuing university studies would not have been possible without the KfW Student Loan. The recently presented study was conducted jointly with the German Institute for Educational Research and Educational Information (Deutsches Institut für Internationale Pädagogische Forschung – DIPF) among almost 4,500 students in the winter semester 2010/2011.

It is available online under: http://ots.de/K5p8p .

Further information can be obtained at www.kfw.de/studienkredit or from the Infocentre of KfW Bankengruppe under +49(0)1801/ 24 24 25 (local call rate from within Germany).

Enquiries:
Press Department
Dr Charis Pöthig
Tel: +49-69-7431-4683
Charis.poethig@kfw.de