Press

14 July 2025

Studentenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau Invests 15 Million Euros in Modernisation of Zwickau Student Residence 

Thanks to support from the “Junges Wohnen” programme, our hall of residence at Innere Schneeberger Straße 23, Building 1, will be modernised by the 2026/27 winter semester. The aim is to create a student residence that meets today’s standards in terms of both construction and design—featuring primarily self-contained studio flats and two-person units.

Originally built in 1971, the building was last renovated in 1997 and no longer met structural requirements or the living standards expected by students. By the end of February this year, all rooms had been vacated. Our administration also moved to the new location at Villa Falck at Äußere Schneeberger Straße 35 in mid-March. This was followed by the gutting of the building before the actual construction work could begin at the end of June. 

To meet today’s living standards, it was necessary to adapt the existing floor plans. The future accommodation will consist primarily of fully furnished studio flats with approximately 16 m² of living space, as well as several two-person units. Following the modernisation, this hall of residence will offer 287 beds—18 more than before the renovation. Special attention is being paid to sustainable design. The balconies will be covered with climbing plants, creating a green west and east façade—a real highlight for the cityscape and the climate. The aim is to create a modern, energy-efficient and liveable residential environment for students.

Community aspects are not being overlooked either. The Null13 student club, which temporarily relocated during the renovation, will return to its original premises once the work is complete.

The reopening of the fully modernised hall of residence is scheduled for the 2026/27 winter semester. Studentenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau is investing approximately 15 million euros in this modernisation project. Of this amount, 10 million euros come from the “Junges Wohnen” funding programme of the federal government and the Free State of Saxony. As part of social housing construction, this special programme supports the creation and modernisation of affordable housing for students and trainees.

26 June 2025

Joint press release from the Saxon student services organisations

Saxon State Parliament’s Budget Resolution: Additional Funds for Student Services Organisations Mitigate Funding Shortfall

Chemnitz/Dresden/Leipzig/Freiberg, 26 June 2025. Following the Saxon State Parliament’s approval of the 2025/2026 biennial budget, Saxony’s student services organisations will have access to additional annual funding of five million euros. The Saxon Student Services expressly welcome this decision and thank all democratic parliamentary groups for their cross-party support.

For Saxony’s student services organisations as a whole, this is an extremely important and positive development. Anja Schönherr, Executive Director of the Chemnitz-Zwickau Student Services and spokesperson for the Working Group of Saxony’s Student Services, comments:

“We are very relieved about the subsidies approved today as part of the 2025/2026 biennial budget, which are now higher than initially provided for in the government’s draft. Especially in economically difficult times, students need us as reliable partners,” says Anja Schönherr, spokesperson for the Saxon student services organisations. “With our extensive range of affordable housing, low-cost meals, childcare, student finance and psychosocial counselling, we enable access to higher education regardless of a student’s background or their family’s financial situation. We would like to thank everyone who has helped ensure that we can maintain these services and continue to support Saxony’s students in a variety of ways in the future—the members of the Saxon State Parliament, the State Ministry of Science and Culture, and, last but not least, the students themselves, who—supported by the KSS and local student councils—have championed the Saxon Student Services with great dedication.”

The additional funds now approved make a significant contribution to reducing the funding gap that has arisen in recent years as a result of sharp increases in staff, energy and material costs. 

Although the originally planned two-year budget provided for an increase in the state subsidy for ongoing operations from 12.85 million euros to 13.5 million euros for all student services organisations, this remained well below the cost increases of recent years. At the same time, no funds for new investments were made available beyond the federal-state funding for “Junges Wohnen”. The substantial investment needs would not have been covered by the federal “Junges Wohnen” programme either. This programme is important and helps to stabilise housing capacity, but it does not fully meet the needs. This programme is not available at all for the renovation needs in the student dining halls. As a result, the Saxon student services organisations were faced with insurmountable challenges.

In Dresden in particular, the social infrastructure for students was hanging in the balance. As early as March, the Dresden Student Services had highlighted the resulting risks for key service areas—particularly in university catering, social housing provision, and counselling. A reduction or even closure of important services could no longer be ruled out.

To safeguard the existing range of services, at least in the short term, intensive discussions have been held with student representatives over the past few months. At the board meeting on 8 May 2025, a temporary increase in the semester fee of 15 euros was subsequently approved—primarily to cover the increased demand for psychosocial and social counselling services, as well as to stabilise the deficit in university catering services. As a result, the biannual semester fee for the Student Services Association in Dresden rose to 112.73€.

“The budget decision sends an important signal regarding the social infrastructure at university campuses. We thank the political groups that advocated for and approved this funding increase. This cross-party support demonstrates that students’ concerns are being taken seriously and supported,” explains Michael Rollberg, Executive Director of Dresden Student Services. “Although the allocation of the additional funds has yet to be decided and the deficit cannot be fully covered by these funds, this financial measure provides us with much-needed stability for the coming months,” Rollberg continued. “It creates the framework to avert immediate cuts and to continue measures already underway to safeguard our services.”