EU nationals who study in Denmark are entitled to both the Danish state student grant (Statens Uddannelsesstøtte, SU) and the equivalent repayable loan, provided they fulfil certain requirements (such as working for 10-12 hours weekly).
But the Danish state is yet to receive a large amount of repayment on the loans given to international students, according to a report by DR’s Orientering programme, which cited figures from Denmark’s Ministry of Higher Education and Science (Uddannelses- og Forskningsministeriet).
40 percent of loans now due for repayment taken by students from other EU countries are yet to have received a single krone, according to the report.
The total debt owed to the Danish state by foreign students is 123 million kroner (16.5 million euros), writes news agency Ritzau.
EU rules prevent Danish authorities from being able to collect debt outside Denmark’s borders, according to the report.
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