Norway Abolishes free tuition fee for International Students.
Posted date: 13 Dec 2022
Following the footsteps of Finland and Sweden, Norwegian Ministry of Education has proposed to the government to introduce university fees for students coming from countries outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland by 2023.Norway was one of the few countries in the world where free education was provided for every student regardless of where they come from.
Why was it Implemented?
Minister of Higher Education Ola Borten Moe stated, Norwegian students are typically required to pay tuition fees in order to study abroad. There is no justification for it to differ in this situation. Norway will continue to welcome students from all nations, but we believe it is fair and acceptable for them to cover their own expenses . They justified the strategy by adding that it had spent billions of Kroner for increasing the quality of education in the universities, and should be able to attract international students to Norway .
Aim of the Plan
And this program's goal is to draw only motivated students around the world, not just because it's free. According to a recent report by Study.eu, Norway's free education programme is the top reason that non-EU students are drawn to studying there. According to Minister Borten Moe, there will be more free spots at universities and housing for Norwegian students if the number of international students attending Norwegian universities declines as a result of the implementation of fees. It is appropriate to give Norwegian students priority at a time when many individuals wish to pursue higher education, the Minister added.
Tuition Fee Could range upto
The government anticipates the average price to be close to 130,000 NOK ($13,000 USD) per year, however the universities determine the pricing depending on actual expenditures. Its estimated that the most expensive courses can cost up to 150,000 NOK ($15,000) every semester, which translates to a 3-year bachelor's degree costing up to 900,000 NOK ($90,000) at a Norwegian institution.
Will this be a permanent change?
This has been a national budget 2023 plan, and it will now become official. No one can forecast with certainty how the upcoming years will turn out. However, prior to enacting the tuition fee in 2011 Sweden and 2017 Finland , which resulted in declines of up to 80% in foreign enrollment for several years. However, by 2017/18 in Sweden and by 2022 in Finland, the number of international students returned to what it was prior to the introduction of the tuition fee. Therefore, it's possible that Norway might experience the similar scenario.
Additionally, it was noted that the government has proposed allocating NOK 42.8 billion for framework funding for universities and colleges in the country's 2023 budget. To build a stronger and higher-quality system of higher education, the Ministry intends to increase funding for education even further through the proposed introduction of new fees.
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