Tuition fees for international students: What does the latest development mean?
A majority in Norway’s parliament is in favour of changing the law to allow universities to charge some foreign students tuition.
Norway’s parliament is in favour of amending the law to make it possible for Norwegian public universities to collect tuition from international students.
The government had previously passed a proposal as part of its national budget through parliament that will see students from outside the EEA and Switzerland charged for studying in Norway. There are several other exceptions to the rules, such as exchange students and those with close ties to Norway.
With the policy to charge tuition already adopted by parliament, the latest development was to make it legally possible to collect fees.
The Socialist Left Party has said it will table amendments to the proposed law but says they are unlikely to get a majority. One would allow study places to decide whether they wish to implement fees, and the other would allow a larger group of foreign students to be exempt from tuition fees.
The proposals tabled by The Socialist Left Party are unlikely to get a majority as only the Red Party, the Green Party, and the Liberal Party are against the proposed amendment to the Education Act, meaning they are the only parties likely to favour any student-friendly changes. Together, the four parties wouldn’t come near to securing the majority required for them to pass.
Therefore, the latest development only further confirms the introduction of tuition fees for overseas students wishing to study in Norway.
“The free principle is hereby buried; it is a day of mourning for students and for equal opportunities! When it really mattered, neither the Socialist Left Party, the Labor Party, nor the Center Party was willing to stand up for free higher education,” Maika Marie Godal Dam, head of the Norwegian Student Organisation, said to Norwegian newswire NTB about the latest development.
The law will officially pass after next Monday. This is because two hearings will be heard in parliament ahead of the law formally passing.
Norway’s revised national budget (the original budget, which included the introduction of tuition fees, has already passed) has yet to be adopted and news site for the higher education sector Khrono asked Marit Knutsdatter from the Centre Party whether any proposals related to scholarship opportunities could be added.
“The revised national budget has not yet been adopted, and here there are several matters on the table that must be negotiated. Here we can neither promise nor rule out that there may be measures aimed at this,” she told Khrono.
When it comes to when the fees will need to be paid, this will depend on the university applicants wish to attend. For example, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology will only set a payment deadline once it is legally able to collect fees.
Meanwhile, a number of universities have set up deposit accounts or set a deadline for tuition payments to be made. A number of universities have also allowed some prospective students to postpone their payment deadline.
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Norway’s parliament is in favour of amending the law to make it possible for Norwegian public universities to collect tuition from international students.
The government had previously passed a proposal as part of its national budget through parliament that will see students from outside the EEA and Switzerland charged for studying in Norway. There are several other exceptions to the rules, such as exchange students and those with close ties to Norway.
With the policy to charge tuition already adopted by parliament, the latest development was to make it legally possible to collect fees.
The Socialist Left Party has said it will table amendments to the proposed law but says they are unlikely to get a majority. One would allow study places to decide whether they wish to implement fees, and the other would allow a larger group of foreign students to be exempt from tuition fees.
The proposals tabled by The Socialist Left Party are unlikely to get a majority as only the Red Party, the Green Party, and the Liberal Party are against the proposed amendment to the Education Act, meaning they are the only parties likely to favour any student-friendly changes. Together, the four parties wouldn’t come near to securing the majority required for them to pass.
Therefore, the latest development only further confirms the introduction of tuition fees for overseas students wishing to study in Norway.
“The free principle is hereby buried; it is a day of mourning for students and for equal opportunities! When it really mattered, neither the Socialist Left Party, the Labor Party, nor the Center Party was willing to stand up for free higher education,” Maika Marie Godal Dam, head of the Norwegian Student Organisation, said to Norwegian newswire NTB about the latest development.
The law will officially pass after next Monday. This is because two hearings will be heard in parliament ahead of the law formally passing.
Norway’s revised national budget (the original budget, which included the introduction of tuition fees, has already passed) has yet to be adopted and news site for the higher education sector Khrono asked Marit Knutsdatter from the Centre Party whether any proposals related to scholarship opportunities could be added.
“The revised national budget has not yet been adopted, and here there are several matters on the table that must be negotiated. Here we can neither promise nor rule out that there may be measures aimed at this,” she told Khrono.
When it comes to when the fees will need to be paid, this will depend on the university applicants wish to attend. For example, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology will only set a payment deadline once it is legally able to collect fees.
Meanwhile, a number of universities have set up deposit accounts or set a deadline for tuition payments to be made. A number of universities have also allowed some prospective students to postpone their payment deadline.
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