Newly trained teachers may have student loans cancelled
If you take primary or secondary school teacher training, you may have parts of your student loan cancelled if you work as a teacher in primary and lower secondary or upper secondary education for an earning period after your studies.
The scheme applies to students who started their studies from and including the 2017–2018 academic year, and the first students may have debt cancelled in 2025.
For those taking primary school teacher training for years 1-7
If you complete the primary school teacher training for years 1-7, you may have NOK 106,000 of your student loan cancelled. The conditions are that you complete your studies in the prescribed time and that you have worked as a teacher for at least three of the first six years after completing training.
For those taking primary school teacher training for years 5-10
If you complete the primary school teacher training for years 5-10 and work as a teacher for at least three years, you may have NOK 51,000 of your student loan cancelled. The condition is that you complete your studies in the prescribed time and that you have worked as a teacher for at least three of the first six years after completing your studies.
For those taking secondary school teacher training for years 8-13
If you complete the secondary school teacher training for years 8-13 and work as a teacher for at least three years, you may have NOK 51,000 of your student loan cancelled. The condition is that you complete your studies in the prescribed time and that you have worked as a teacher for at least three of the first six years after completing your studies.
You may be exempted from the stipulated time requirement
The main rule is that you must complete your studies within the stipulated time, but there are some exceptions. You may be exempt if the reason you spent longer was that you had children during the study period, that you were ill, that you have reduced functional ability and the learning environment or study situation was not adapted for this, or that you had a full-time position of trust for a period of at least three months in a countrywide student organisation or similar.
For those who are teachers in Northern Norway
If you complete the primary school teacher or secondary school teacher education and work as a teacher in Nordland or Troms and Finnmark for at least three years, NOK 55,000 of your student loan may be cancelled. You are not required to have completed the studies in the stipulated time, but you must have worked as a teacher for at least three of the first six years after you completed your studies. As employed as a teacher in Finnmark and Northern Troms you may additionally be entitled to have up to NOK 50,000 of your student loan cancelled per year.
The schemes can be combined
The different schemes can be combined. For example, if you complete primary school teacher training years 1-7 in the stipulated time and work for three years as a teacher in Northern Norway, you may have NOK 161,000 of your student loan cancelled. If you teach in Finnmark or Nord-Troms, you may in addition have NOK 50,000 cancelled each year.
How to apply for debt cancellation
You can only apply for debt cancellation once the earning period has been completed, which means when you have completed you studies and have worked for at least three years as a teacher. The application must have been received by us no later than six months after the earning period has been completed.
Other schemes for cancellation of student loans for teachers
Specialisation in science or language
If you complete certain teacher studies in natural sciences, foreign languages, Sami or Kven, you may have up to NOK 50,000 of the student loan cancelled.