Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

STUDYING IN NORWAY

Norwegian university reveals new tuition fee for international students

The University of Stavanger has announced how much it will charge students from outside the EEA and Switzerland for a study place from autumn 2023. 

Published: 23 January 2023 16:33 CET
Updated: 24 January 2023 08:56 CET
Pictured is a university lecture hall.
The University of Stavanger has said how much it will charge foreign students. Pictured is a university lecture hall. Photo by Philippe Bout on Unsplash

In its budget for 2023, Norway’s government announced that students from outside the EEA and Switzerland would be charged foreign tuition from the semester beginning in the autumn of 2023. 

The proposal, which passed into law at the beginning of the year, sees universities use tuition fees to cover the cost of running courses, with the money the government saves being used elsewhere. 

Prior to the change, all students studying at a public university did not have to pay for tuition, making it an attractive place to study. 

However, little information in terms of pricing beyond estimate has been provided to students who will be required to pay under the new rules. 

The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) informed The Local that the higher education sector was collaborating and working out a model to calculate how much it would cost to study in Norway from autumn.

“UiT is collaborating with the rest of the sector to find a model for calculating the costs and will send this to applicants as soon as possible and at the latest by sending out the offer letter. What we now answer to those applicants who ask is that we currently do not have more information than what is on our website. We are working on getting the necessary clarifications, and we will update the website and send out information to all our applicants as soon as we know anything more. This is stated on the website,” Heidi Adolfsen, director of education, research and dissemination at UiT, told The Local.

The University of Stavanger has since become the first educational institute to announce how much it would charge in fees. 

Students from countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland who will be studying in the autumn must prepare to pay the following for one year of study at UiS:

  • Master’s degrees in technology, natural sciences and performing arts: 150,000 kroner
  • Master’s degrees at a business school, social science subjects, humanities subjects and all health subjects: 125,000 kroner
  • Bachelor and year studies: 80,000 kroner 

“These rates only cover the marginal cost and not what it actually costs to have an infrastructure and staff who do research,” section manager Bjarte Hoem at the University of Stavanger told education sector news publication Khrono. 

Other universities have yet to announce prices, and several education institutes are collaborating to work out a tuition model. Hoem said he didn’t expect large fluctuation in tuition fees between universities. 

Students will be required to pay their tuition fees for the year in advance of each semester. Therefore, prospective students will need to answer whether they wish to continue with their application by February 15th. 

Hoem expects the number of those from outside the EEA studying in Norway to drop off dramatically following the introduction of fees. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

STUDYING IN NORWAY

Everything you need to know if you want to study in Norway in 2024 

From applications to the immigration process to who has to pay tuition and whether degrees are taught in English. The Local has compiled all the key information on applying to university in Norway. 

Published: 31 January 2024 15:23 CET
Everything you need to know if you want to study in Norway in 2024 

The basics 

The Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (NUCAS) handles most applications to study at universities in Norway. 

The majority of universities in Norway are state-run. NUCAS handles applications for all state and some private universities in Norway at the bachelor’s level. 

Public universities are typically free (however, some students must pay steep tuition), and private universities charge fees. 

Applications to Norwegian universities open on February 1st, with a deadline of April 15th. Exam results need to be uploaded by July 1st in most cases, and on July 15th, you will find out if your application has been successful. 

Those from outside the EEA/EU will typically have a much earlier deadline. Furthermore, many master’s courses open for application earlier but will have the same deadline. 

When applying for a master’s course, you must apply directly to the university. 

Degrees taught in English

The overwhelming majority of bachelor’s programmes in Norway are taught in Norwegian. This means that you will find it challenging to find a course in English at all, never mind one relevant to your career path or interests. 

In addition, you will need to document Norwegian proficiency to be admitted onto a Norwegian language course. 

There are a large variety of master’s courses taught in English. The Study in Norway website has an overview of all the degrees in Norway that are taught in English. 

For many prospective students, the best opportunity to study in Norway will be at the master’s level because more degrees are taught in English. 

To study a degree taught in English, you need to document proficiency in the language either by being a native speaker, passing language tests, or having already obtained a degree taught in English. 

READ ALSO: Can I take a English-speaking degree in Norway?

Tuition fees 

Students from outside the EEU/EEA and Switzerland must pay tuition fees at Norwegian universities, regardless of whether they are public or private. 

Tuition fees generally vary depending on the type of degree and the kind of course. Individual universities have an overview of their fees on their websites. 

Generally, you’ll be expected to pay upwards of 140,000 kroner per year to study. The Study in Norway website has a list of universities that charge tuition on its website. 

Some courses will cost much more, with fees in excess of 300,000 kroner per year. 

There are some exemptions for non-EU/EEA citizens, these are typically for permanent residence holders, asylum seekers, those who are married or have a child with a Norwegian citizen, Brits who arrived before Brexit and those who have worked in Norway for a few years. 

Norwegian and all EU/EEA nationals do not need to pay tuition fees to study in Norway. 

The Norwegian government also has yet to make plans to introduce scholarship schemes for non-EEA nationals. 

Free tuition is one factor in extremely competitive admission to a Norwegian university.  

The immigration rules 

Non-EEA/EU citizens must apply for a study permit to live in Norway while they study. They will need to obtain this after receiving an offer to study. 

The permit comes with an application fee (for over 18s). You will also need to prove that you have the funds to live on during your time in Norway. These funds can be through loans or your own income. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration has an overview of the rules that apply on its website. 

Students from the EEA will need to register with the Norwegian police if they are going to live in and study in the country. They will need to have been admitted onto a course. Registration is free and comes with a certificate. 

Working while you study 

You can work while you study. When granted a study permit, you can work up to 20 hours per week alongside your studies.

Those from the EU/EEA/EFTA can work even more, and can work up to 50 percent of full-time hours. The work can also be remote, but you cannot be self-employed or run your own business in Norway.

The hours you work can be increased during the holidays though. 

READ MORE: Can you work on a Norwegian study permit?

SHOW COMMENTS