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Tuition fees For Members

Will international students in Norway have to start paying tuition fees next year?

Robin-Ivan Capar
Robin-Ivan Capar - [email protected]
Will international students in Norway have to start paying tuition fees next year?
The proposed fee would apply to international students who complete their education in Norway. It wouldn't affect exchange students. Photo by Element5 Digital / Unsplash

In its 2023 state budget proposal, the Norwegian government announced that it plans to introduce a tuition fee for international students in the country. Here are the details.

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Should the new Norwegian state budget proposal for the upcoming year be adopted, students from abroad will no longer be able to study in Norway without paying the associated student fees.

Norway is one of the few countries in the world where international students do not have to pay student tuition.

In an abrupt change of policy, the government proposes to introduce a tuition fee for students from outside the EEA area and Switzerland from and including the autumn semester of 2023.

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"In the vast majority of cases, Norwegian students must pay tuition fees to study abroad. There is no reason why it should be any different here.

"Norway must still be open to students from all countries, but we believe it is fair and reasonable that they also pay up," Research and Higher Education Minister Ola Borten Moe said in a press release published on Thursday.

Proposal criticised by Norwegian Student Organisation

As soon as the plan to introduce fees for international students became public, the Norwegian Student Organisation (NSO) reacted strongly with a press release of its own, warning that the idea violates a fundamental principle in Norwegian education policy – that all education should be free.

The NSO pointed out that such a change would mean that personal financial status would become the deciding factor in who gets the opportunity to take part in higher education in Norway.

"The proposal violates a fundamental principle in Norwegian education policy – that all education should be free. A principle applies to everyone, not just some people. We believe this is the first step on the road to introducing school fees in Norway," NSO leader Maika Marie Godal Dam said.

The Organisation further pointed out that students coming to Norway from other countries are an investment in the overall knowledge base and quality of the system, contributing to strengthening Norwegian academia and Norway's social development.

Therefore, the NSO believes that the value of international students is greater than the cost of providing them with free education.

"I am proud that Norway has one of the world's most accessible education systems where the most competent candidates can access higher education. This is how it should continue to be," the NSO's leader said.

A U-turn on the Hurdal Platform promises?

The NSO also called out the government for breaking the promises it set forward in the Hurdal policy platform, noting that the Platform states that "education in Norway should be free, also for international students."

Furthermore, the Organization warned that the proposal is not rooted in the party programs of the two governing parties.

"It is shocking to see that the government is willing to abandon the Hurdal Platform one year after it was put forward. If the governing parties present a proposal that they both (declaratively) oppose - then it will be difficult for us voters to trust politicians," Godal Dam said.

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On the other side, Minister Borten Moe pointed out that higher education should "clearly" still be free for Norwegian students and other EEA citizens.

"It is a fixed principle, and it is not appropriate to change it," he said in the press release.

The goals of the proposal

The Ministry of Research and Higher Education says that the measure aims to attract students through the quality of education.

"Our universities and colleges should be well equipped to recruit international students because the quality of the education is good, not because it is free. I also think a tuition fee will give us more motivated international students," Minister Borten Moe says.

At the same time, the Ministry believes it is likely that fewer students will come to Norway from abroad, which will free up both study places and student housing capacity.

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"At a time when there are many people who want to pursue higher education, it is right to prioritise Norwegian students," the Research and Higher Education Minister says.

He further notes that Norwegian universities and colleges must secure additional sources of income in times of crisis.

Under the proposed scheme, if the educational institutions prove successful in recruiting more international students, they will be able to secure more income, further boosting Norway's educational capacity.

"We will continue to spend a lot of money on higher education and research. The (spending) level must be high, but the universities and colleges must also look at other ways of getting income," Borten Moe warned.

Who would be affected?

The fee would apply to international students who complete their education in Norway and not to exchange students who only spend part of their education at Norwegian institutions.

According to the proposal, the fee would need to – as a minimum – cover the costs of the educational institution and will apply to new students.

The measure would apply to students from outside the EEA area and Switzerland from and including the autumn semester of 2023.

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"We want more international students to come to Norway on exchange; therefore, these students are protected. The main priority for student mobility must be exchange students," Borten Moe said.

The sum of the budget savings and educational capacity that would be freed up is roughly estimated at around 1.2 billion kroner.

What happens next?

As the government doesn't have a majority in the Norwegian parliament (Storting), it must seek support from other parties.

It will most likely try to negotiate with the Socialist Left Party (SV) to secure the votes it needs to pass the budget through parliament.

The SV's leader Audun Lysbakken has already announced that he plans to ask for higher tax levels for the wealthy and more measures aimed at promoting social redistribution and fighting climate change.

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