Hamza Khalil, who fled Syria alone at age 17 and is now completing his medical training in Germany, credits a counseling program for young migrants with helping him get there. "My counselor supported me a great deal throughout the process, and the scholarship enabled me to take the necessary language courses," he said.

Without this targeted support, Khalil said, "my journey would certainly have taken years longer,'" he told the Catholic News Agency (KNA).

But now, the dedicated advisory program operating for more than five decades that has helped Khalil and other migrants and refugees looking to build a future through higher education in Germany is set to be discontinued.

KNA reported on Tuesday (November 10) that the 'Higher Education Guarantee Fund for Educational Counseling' (Bildungsberatung Garantiefonds Hochschule) will expire at the end of the year.

The program provided comprehensive guidance to young refugees under the age of 30 who had prospects of remaining in Germany, as well as to ethnic German returnees.

For prospective students, the service offered vital support in navigating Germany's higher education system, according to KNA. Advisors helped individuals gain university admission through preparatory colleges (Studienkolleg), resume interrupted studies, have foreign academic credentials recognized and cover application fees.

Crucially, the program also funded specialized advanced language courses, an essential requirement for university enrollment in Germany, KNA reported.

Read Also'Being isolated is not easy': Migrants anxious after Germany cuts access to integration courses

'I could ask my advisor anything at any time'

Verlia F. is one of around 6,000 young people who reportedly received assistance through the counseling service each year.

"The first year in Cologne was very difficult and chaotic; I functioned like a robot," recalls Verlia, who fled the war in Ukraine with her mother and sister in 2022. Wanting to maintain some stability, the then-18-year-old initially continued her biology studies online at her university in Kyiv before seeking advice on transferring to a German institution, KNA reported.

"That was extremely complicated and time-consuming. But I could ask my advisor anything at any time. That gave me the feeling that I could do it," Verlia said.

Today, she is in her seventh semester, works part-time in a laboratory and plans to pursue a master's degree in molecular biology.

According to KNA, the Otto Benecke Foundation administers the counseling program on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, which allocated 16.3 million euros to the program this year. However, a ministry spokesperson told KNA that a critical review of the budget had concluded that there was no sufficient legal basis for federal education funding.

Officials reportedly suggested that state-level programs, the Youth Migration Service or the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) could serve as alternatives.

Read AlsoGermany: 10 years of 'Integration Act' for refugees

Cuts spark criticism

Supporters strongly oppose the planned closure. In early October, according to KNA, advocates delivered a petition with more than 100,000 signatures to members of the German parliament (Bundestag). The final decision rests on upcoming deliberations over the 2027 federal budget.

"Over many years, we have built up the knowledge about nationwide study opportunities and the complex requirements needed to provide successful counseling," counselor Amelia Pavel told KNA. "This is how we support young people who have the potential to begin a degree program here or to continue one they started in their home country."

Michael Herkendell, head of the coordination office, warns that closing the program would eliminate around 1,300 advanced language courses each year. "Without these certificates, it's not possible to pursue a degree," he said. According to KNA, he also noted that alternative support through welfare offices or job centers rarely covers these specialized language requirements.

The program reportedly also plays an important role in addressing Germany's labor shortages. In 2025 alone, more than 600 program participants enrolled in higher education, with many pursuing degrees in engineering, natural sciences, economics and medicine, fields facing significant workforce shortages.

Read AlsoGermany: Court upholds revocation of Somali influencer's refugee status

Massive cuts across the entire integration sector

The German government has introduced significant budget cuts and policy shifts affecting migrant integration and asylum support, driven by a broader fiscal reorientation toward military and defense spending.

Germany initially scaled back or restricted free access to state-sponsored general language and integration courses, shifting costs or shifting focus strictly to individuals with clear prospects of permanent residency.

In May 2026, the government adjusted its stance, halving total cuts (reducing the integration course budget from roughly 1.3 billion euros to 600 million euros) and expanding shorter 25-hour introductory orientation courses.

Effective June 2026, Ukrainians and EU citizens regained access to full integration courses regardless of a secure long-term stay prospect.

Starting August 1, 2026, Germany lifted the blanket admission freeze on voluntary integration courses, reopening enrollments for eligible foreign nationals with labor market prospects, though the 2027 budget for integration courses is projected at around 590 million euros (a further reduction from 2026 levels).

However, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in September announced plans to drastically curtail funding for independent, free asylum consultation and legal/rights information services run by partner organizations.

Funding for these independent guidance services is slated to drop sharply to 5 million euros in the proposed 2027 federal budget, down from nearly five times that amount previously, sparking heavy criticism from welfare and social organizations.

with KNA