Students report delayed BAföG after LMU cyberattack

Some students say their October student aid payments, known as BAföG, have not arrived after a cyberattack disrupted IT systems at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU). BR reports that the university’s student representative says missing documents may be holding up payments.

Fabian Heuberger, a student representative in LMU’s political science department, said some students had not received money that was due on 1 October. He said the university’s IT disruption had prevented students from obtaining proof of enrolment and academic records required for their applications, leaving some facing financial hardship.

The Munich Student Union, which administers student aid, disputed that account. A spokesperson told BR that its office had no cases in which payments were withheld because students could not provide documents as a result of the attack. The Bavarian science ministry had instructed the office to handle affected cases pragmatically, the spokesperson said, adding that students could receive payments without enrolment certificates or proof of exam results.

Heuberger said he had asked Florian von Brunn, the Social Democratic Party’s spokesperson for digital policy in the state parliament, for help on 1 October. He believes the union’s approach may be a response to his request, but said administrative processes take time. One student, who asked not to be named, told BR on Wednesday afternoon that she was still waiting for her payment.

The student union said there can be many reasons for delayed BAföG payments and that each case must be examined individually. It said students would not be disadvantaged in their aid because of the cyberattack.