Explanations
Grant: money you are given
Loan: money you must pay back
Financial support: sum total of grants and loans
Ordinary upper secondary education
Pupils with legal rights to ordinary upper secondary education may receive financial support from the Lånekassen. How much you get depends on your parents' income and assets (It is means tested).
All upper secondary pupils with legal rights to upper secondary education are entitled to a non-means-tested grant. The grant is intended to help cover the cost of learning materials and essential personal equipment, and the amount given depends on the education programme you follow.
All pupils in ordinary upper secondary education may receive:
- a basic grant if you live at home with your parents
- a non-means-tested housing grant if you have to live away from your parents
You may also qualify for a travel grant and a provider's supplementary grant. All grants you are entitled to will be given automatically when you apply.
When you live at home with your parents
| Basic grant: |
Up to NOK 1 940 per month |
| Loan: |
Up to NOK 2 660 per month |
| Total grant and loan: |
Up to NOK 4 600 per month |
When you live on you own
| Grant and loan |
| Basic grant: |
NOK 1 940 per month |
| Housing grant: |
NOK 3 850 per month |
| Grant for learning materials: |
NOK 89 - 286 per month* |
| Sum stipend: |
NOK 5 879 - 6 076 per month* |
| Loan: |
NOK 1 350 per month |
| Total grant and loan: |
NOK 7 229 - 7 426 per month* |
* Amount depends on what study programme you are taking.
Refugee grant
You may qualify for a refugee grant if you are in upper secondary education and have refugee status. You do not qualify for refugee grant if you have residence permit on humanitarian grounds.
If you are in upper secondary education which you are not entitled to by law, any financial support is granted according to the regulations for higher education.
Higher education and pupils in education other than ordinary upper secondary education
Higher education means education at university or college level. Pupils who are neither attending ordinary upper secondary schools nor taking higher education, but who are engaged in other forms of education that qualify for financial support (county colleges, IT schools, technical vocational schools, etc.) may be eligible for the same financial support as students in higher education.
Everyone can get up to NOK 90 800 for the academic year 2011-2012 (ten months). The total amount is initially given as a loan. If you do not live in the same house as your parents, up to 40 percent of the amount may be converted to a grant. In order to receive maximum grant you have to
- pass all your exams
- earn less than NOK 140 823 in 2011
- have assets not exceeding NOK 278 589 in 2010
The support remains a loan if you live at home with your parents, even if you pass your exams.
How to apply
- online application for upper secondary education can be found at vigo.no, at or your personal pages "Dine sider" (in Norwegian only). Apply as soon as you have accepted your placement offer.
- online application for higher education can be found at your personal pages "Dine sider" (in Norwegian only). Apply as soon as you have accepted your placement offer.
Additional grants for providing for children
If you have children who have been granted a residence permit and are living with you in Norway, you may be given an additional grant. The size of the grant depends on your income and the income of your spouse, partner, or cohabitant.
Additional loan for school fees
You may receive an additional loan to cover school fees.
Further information
Print out the brochure "Grants and Loans to Foreign Citizens" from the web page
"Brosjyrer" (brochures).