10-year anniversary of the KfW Student Loan

Frankfurt am Main (ots) -

- Funding provided for 250,000 students to date
- Investments in education good for the German economy
- KfW Student Loan plays a key role in equal opportunity in higher
education
- 100,000 students currently receive EUR 500 per month on average

The KfW Group's Student Loan programme has been successfully
supporting students at German institutes of higher education for ten
years now. The KfW Student Loan helps students cover their expenses
and is an important financing component along with parental financial
support, a part-time job and Federal Education and Training
Assistance (BAföG). Since it was launched in 2006, the KfW Student
Loan programme has granted student loans to roughly 250,000 students.

"Education plays a vital role in long-term economic growth, equal
opportunity and social prosperity. This is why it is important that
academic training and education is accessible to as many people as
possible and that financing is not a prohibitive factor," said Dr.
Ingrid Hengster, Member of the Executive Board of KfW. "The KfW
Student Loan makes it possible for students, regardless of their
financial situation or the assets and income of their parents, to
meet their financial needs and pursue their studies."

Educational opportunities are strongly influenced by social
background in Germany. The child of an academic is three times more
likely to study at university level than a child from a non-academic
household. Whether or not financing is available also plays a role in
an individual's decision to study or not. A recent study conducted by
KfW Research shows that students with a low to medium educational
background are strongly represented among borrowers. Many say that a
loan made the investment in their higher education possible in the
first place. As a result, student loans are a driving force behind
equal opportunity in higher education.

Approx. 100,000 students currently receive monthly instalments
averaging around EUR 500 for a period of four to five semesters.
Under the KfW Student Loan programme, students can apply for monthly
disbursements of up to EUR 650 regardless of any financial
guarantees. The amount can be flexibly adjusted every six months
depending on the student's current study and living situation.

Further information can be found at www.kfw.de/studienkredit and
http://ots.de/Ib40m. The current study "Bildungshürden und
Studienfinanzierung in Deutschland" [Educational Obstacles and
Student Financing] can be accessed at www.kfw.de/fokus.

Pressekontakt:
KfW, Palmengartenstr. 5 - 9, 60325 Frankfurt
Kommunikation (KOM) Sonja Höpfner
Tel. +49 (0)69 7431 4306, Fax: +49 (0)69 7431 3266,
E-Mail: Sonja.Hoepfner@kfw.de, Internet: www.kfw.de

Original-Content von: KfW, übermittelt durch news aktuell