Most people in upper secondary education will receive a grant for course materials or other grants under the rules applicable to pupils in ordinary upper secondary education. They will usually receive a smaller amount than students in higher education and all or most of the amount will be disbursed in the form of a grant.
Some pupils in upper secondary education can apply for loans and grants under the rules applicable to students in university and university college education. Their disbursements will usually be higher, and the majority of the amount will be disbursed in the form of a loan rather than a grant.
Are you between 21 and 24 years and did you receive grants and loans during the 2023-2024 academic year?
Check the bottom of the page to see whether or not the rules apply to you.
Rules for those under the age of 21 without university and college admissions certification or vocational qualifications
You can apply for loans and grants under the rules for ordinary upper secondary education if both of the following criteria are met:
- You are under the age of 21. That is, you turn 20 years or less during the calendar year in which the academic year commences.
- You do not yet have university and college admissions certification or vocational qualifications. This means that you have not completed and passed a university and college admission or vocational education programme. You have received a grade transcript, trade certificate or journeyman’s certificate.
You may be entitled to a grant for course materials, housing grant, income-dependent grant or loan for pupils over the age of 18 under the rules for ordinary upper secondary education.
You can read more about this in Part 2 of the Study Financing Regulation (in Norwegian).
Rules for those over the age of 21 or those under the age of 21 with university and college admissions certification or vocational qualifications
You can apply for loans and grants under the rules for higher and other education if one of the following criteria are met:
- You are 21 years of age or older. That is, the applicant will turn 21 years of age or more during the calendar year in which the academic year commences.
- You have university and college admissions certification or vocational qualifications. This means that you have completed and passed a university and college admissions certification or vocational education programme. You have received a diploma, trade certificate or journeyman’s certificate.
You may be entitled to loans, including loans that can be converted to grants, under the rules for higher and other education.
You can read more about this in Part 3 of the Study Financing Regulation (in Norwegian).
Exceptions for those aged between 21 and 24 years
Due to the new rules that come into effect from the 2024-2025 academic year, some applicants will be included in a transition scheme. This means that the new rules do not apply to them.
You will be part of the transition scheme if all of the following criteria are met:
- You will turn 21 to 24 years of age during 2024.
- You do not yet have university and college admissions certification or vocational qualifications This means that you have not completed and passed a university and college admission or vocational education programme. You have received a grade transcript, trade certificate or journeyman’s certificate.
- You received a grant for course materials, other grants or loans pursuant to the rules for ordinary upper secondary education (Part 2 of Study Financing Regulation) during the 2023/24 academic year.
If this is the case for you, you will receive grants under the rules for ordinary upper secondary education. Even if you are over the age of 21, you will not receive loans, including loans that can be converted to grants, under the rules for higher and other education.
This applies until you achieve university and college admissions certification or vocational qualifications or until the end of the 2025/26 academic year at the latest.
For applicants attending preparatory training the transition scheme will apply until they have completed preparatory training and no later than the end of the 2025/26 academic year.