Norway has a long history of providing free university education to students from all over the world. They didn’t make any distinctions between foreigners, Norwegians, or EU citizens, but this will all change soon.
The Government of Norway has been advised to impose university fees on students from nations outside the EU or EEA. In presenting its recommendations for the nation’s 2023 budget, Norway’s Ministry of Education emphasized that Norway continues to be one of the very few nations in the world that does not mandate that international students pay university fees, and it insisted that starting in the 2023 fall semester, universities should introduce fees to at least cover their costs per international student.
Ola Borten Moe, the minister of education, responded to the suggestion by stating that since most Norwegian students studying abroad pay university fees, foreign students studying in Norway should also be required to do so.
She also emphasized that Norwegian citizens from other EU and Schengen Area nations will continue to be able to study there for free, even if taxes are implemented for international students. Rather, only nationals of third-party countries will be subject to the costs.
However, the change would only be applicable to students who finished their entire education in Norway, not to those who were enrolled in exchange programs.
According to Statistics Norway, there are presently 242,606 resident students in the country between the ages of 19 and 34, with 142,141 being women and 100,465 being males. Of them, over 13,000 were born in Norway to immigrant parents.
The Ministry of Education insists that universities should be well-equipped to attract international students because the quality of the education is good and not because it is free. The ministry claims that millions of kroner have been spent in an effort to improve the quality of education at the nation’s universities.
Minister Borten Moe further asserts that if the introduction of fees results in a decrease in the number of foreign students attending Norwegian universities, this will result in more open spots at universities and housing for Norwegian students.
In the country’s budget for 2023, the government has suggested providing framework funding for universities and colleges in the amount of NOK 42.8 billion. The Ministry plans to expand the funding for education even more through the proposed introduction of new fees in order to create a better and higher-quality system of higher education.
Estimated Tuition Fees
Beginning in 2023, all universities are required to collect tuition from all students who are not citizens of the EU or EEA. Although estimates suggest that a single semester might cost as much as 150,000 Norwegian kroner (about $15,000 USD or BDT 14, 12000), colleges determine rates depending on real expenditures.
Accordingly, a three-year bachelor’s degree at a Norwegian institution can wind up costing as much as 900,000 NOK ($90,000 or BDT 82,72,000 ), which is obviously a large sum of money for the majority of us.
Although it appears likely that most courses will cost significantly less than this amount, this will depend on the real expenses associated with offering the courses. Less crowded classes with a single professor will cost more than those with many students and several professors.
Exceptions to the tuition payment requirement
The new regulations for paying tuition at Norwegian colleges are aimed at immigrants from all of the Americas, Asia, Oceania, and Africa who have no familial ties to Norway or the EU.
Some groups will, however, no longer be expected to pay tuition at Norwegian universities in the future.
The following groups will continue to receive free tuition at Norwegian universities:
Norwegian nationals
individuals from EU or EEA nations
students who take part in programs for international exchange students
every person who participates in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
Therefore, it will mostly need tuition for foreigners seeking a free university education who have no connection to Norway.
The government presently pays the equivalent of one student’s tuition to the institutions, as they clearly could not function without it.
Will this modification last forever?
The government presented its proposed annual national budget for 2023 on October 6, along with the news of the new additional foreign student tuition.
Even though it’s still not final and can still be subject to discussion and negotiation through December 15, it appears doubtful that this will alter before the announcement of the nation’s ultimate budget.
Currently, there are a lot of uncertainties about this new policy, and many overseas students who are pursuing degrees are worried.
We don’t yet know whether or not the move will have an impact on students who have already started their studies in Norway.
Although it hasn’t been confirmed, there are reports that foreign students who have already been admitted to the university would be able to complete their degrees without paying.
We currently only have to wait and watch how everything turns out. In the months to come, especially as college applications season approaches in the summer of 2023, we will undoubtedly learn more.
Source: United News of Bangladesh