Soon, international students may have to pay fees to study in Norway

Highlights of new proposal to charge fees from foreign university students

• International students in Norway may have to pay university fees to continue studying in the country.
• When it materializes, the new decision will be applicable to all university students in Norway, including international students.
• Making university fees mandatory for international students could filter out students who join advanced studies just because it’s free in Norway.
• Besides the NOK 42.8 billion assistance from the government, Norway’s universities need to find income sources like fees from foreign students.

The lure of free high-quality advanced education drives millions of third-country students to choose to study in Norway. Now, a new proposal has been made by the Ministry of Education in Norway whereby international students studying in Norwegian universities may soon have to pay fees for their studies. This is a significant proposal that should catch your eye if you are planning to study in Europe from Norway.

The proposal is to charge university fees to all students including international students from the autumn semester of 2023.

What has led to this proposal?

One reason that led to this proposal is the fact that imposing university fees can help Norwegian universities cover the costs per student and ensure quality education is delivered consistently.

Another reason is that by charging university fees, it will be ensured that international students who join advanced courses in Norwegian universities will not do so just because it’s free. This will leave enough space for deserving and willing candidates who will be attracted to join courses and study in Norway. This country is a major destination for quality education for those wanting to study in Europe.

The Government of Norway does more for education

The Government of Norway has given a proposal to fund education setting aside NOK 42.8 billion. This amount will be used to fund colleges and universities in Norway in 2023.

By imposing university fees on international students, the Ministry of Education in Norway can help Norwegian universities to find more funds to operate and develop. What’s more, through the budget for education in 2023, a raise in the framework for building dormitories have also been realized.

Building costs for dormitories will be met with a fund increase of close to 50%. In monetary terms, the raise will be from NOK955,700 to NOK1,450,000 per dormitory. This will be applicable across the country.

Another proposal in the budget is to spend NOK85 million more on making adjustments to student aid.

An allocation of NOK141.5 million is set to be made to fund a subsidy scheme meant to address energy measures related to student housing. Also, NOK 41.1 million more will be pooled in for the cancellation of student debt in Troms and Finnmark.

The bottom line

The opportunities for international students who are looking for high-quality education in Norwegian universities are still ripe. The need to spend money shouldn’t deter you from pursuing an education in Norway.

After your studies at a Norwegian university, you may stay in Norway for up to a year and seek work. You only need to lodge for an application for a residence permit under the status of a job seeker. This must be done before your current student permit meets its expiry and after the completion of your graduation.

If you are willing to study in Norway, talk to Y-Axis, the leading immigration, overseas studies, and career consultant in the UAE.

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